Optimal Design of an Off-Grid Photovoltaic-Battery System for UAV Charging in Wildlife Monitoring

This paper aims to determine the most efficient design for an off-grid photovoltaic-battery system, which plays a critical role in powering a charging station for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) used in environmental monitoring, particularly for aerial surveys of wildlife. The study focuses on designing an off-grid PV-Battery system that provides sustainable and reliable energy for the UAVs’ charging needs. The main objective of the optimization is to minimize the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). Based on the power consumption profile of the case study, the optimal system successfully fulfills the electrical demand with only a slight unmet load of 1.09%. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis is performed to examine the effect of SOCmin on the behavior of the optimal system.