Management of Round-Trip Efficiency and Usable Energy Throughput in a Solar-Powered Educational Environment
Abstract
The growing reliance on renewable energy in educational institutions has created an
urgent need to optimize solar power systems for both performance and sustainability. Universities
in regions such as Nigeria face erratic grid supply and high energy demand for laboratories, ICT
facilities, and administrative operations, making efficient storage a critical component of solar
powered systems. This study focused on analyzing round-trip efficiency (RTE) and usable energy
throughput of different battery technologies to determine their suitability for academic
environments. The study combined MATLAB/Simulink simulations with field observations and
expert input. The framework progressed through data collection, system modeling, performance
evaluation, and economic benchmarking tailored to Nigerian universities. Monocrystalline PV
modules (220–330W) were modeled at a fixed 7° tilt with passive cooling, paired with a 60A MPPT
charge controller and a 1kW pure sine wave inverter. Battery modeling compared tubular lead
acid and LiFePO₄ technologies using modified Shepherd and single-particle approaches,
capturing internal resistance, DoD thresholds, and degradation effects. Academic load profiles
reflected realistic campus usage. Benchmarking revealed higher RTE (\~95%) and energy
throughput for LiFePO₄. The results show that tubular lead–acid batteries achieved round-trip
efficiency (RTE) of (82.5%) under optimal conditions, dropping to (74.6%) under stress, while
LiFePO₄ maintained higher efficiency above (90%), peaking at (94.8%). Usable energy
throughput was significantly higher in LiFePO₄, delivering (1.94 kWh) per cycle compared to (1.09
kWh) for tubular lead–acid, with utilization efficiencies of (75.8%) and (41.3%) respectively.
Environmentally, LiFePO₄ reduced lifetime CO₂ emissions by (18%) but faced recycling
challenges in Nigeria, where lead–acid achieves (95%) recovery.
References
Babatunde, O., Denwigwe, I., Oyebode, O., Ighravwe, D., Ohiaeri, A., & Babatunde, D. (2022). Assessing the use of hybrid renewable energy system with battery storage for power generation in a University in Nigeria. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 29(3), 4291-4310.
Beckers, C., Hoedemaekers, E., Dagkilic, A., & Bergveld, H. J. (2023, October). Round-trip energy efficiency and energy-efficiency fade estimation for battery passport. In 2023 IEEE Vehicle Power and Propulsion Conference (VPPC) (pp. 1-6). IEEE.
Bell, W. P., & Foster, J. (2017). Using solar PV feed-in tariff policy history to inform a sustainable flexible pricing regime to enhance the diffusion of energy storage and electric vehicles. Journal of Bioeconomics, 19(1), 127-145.
Bhatia, T., Zhang, J., Ghosh, S., & Wei, F. (2024, June). 25kW Grid-Tied Bi-directional T-Type Inverter with High-Efficiency and High-Power Density Using SiC MOSFETs. In PCIM Europe 2024; International Exhibition and Conference for Power Electronics, Intelligent Motion, Renewable Energy and Energy Management (pp. 1254-1258). VDE.
Bhattacharyya, R. (2024). Statistical Analysis of Levelized Round Trip Cost of Grid Scale Electrical Energy Storage in Batteries with Different Chemistries. Archives of Advanced Engineering Science, 1-16.
Brown, M. A., & Chapman, O. (2021). The size, causes, and equity implications of the demand-response gap. Energy Policy, 158, 112533.
Eikeland, O. F., Kelsall, C. C., Buznitsky, K., Verma, S., Bianchi, F. M., Chiesa, M., & Henry, A. (2023). Power availability of PV plus thermal batteries in real-world electric power grids. Applied Energy, 348, 121572.
Mahesh, M., Bhaskar, D. V., Jisha, R. K., Krishan, R., & Gnanadass, R. (2022). Lifetime estimation of grid connected LiFePO4 battery energy storage systems. Electrical Engineering, 104(1), 67-81.
Mbuba, F. (2021). Federal character principle and Nigerian federalism: An overview. Journal of Social Sciences and Public Policy, 13(1).
Mbuba, F. (2022). The Bravo of Human Capital Development and Empolyee Productivity in the Ministry of Information, Awka. International Journal of Academic Information Systems Research (IJAISR). 5(2). 82-92
McKeon, B. B., Furukawa, J., & Fenstermacher, S. (2014). Advanced lead–acid batteries and the development of grid-scale energy storage systems. Proceedings of the IEEE, 102(6), 951-963.
Meydani, A., Shahinzadeh, H., Nafisi, H., & Gharehpetian, G. B. (2024, March). Optimizing microgrid energy management: Metaheuristic versus conventional techniques. In 2024 11th Iranian Conference on Renewable Energy and Distribution Generation (ICREDG) (Vol. 11, pp. 1-15). IEEE.
Muñoz-Rodríguez, F. J., Snytko, A., de la Casa Hernández, J., Rus-Casas, C., & Jiménez-Castillo, G. (2023). Rooftop photovoltaic systems. New parameters for the performance analysis from monitored data based on IEC 61724. Energy and Buildings, 295, 113280.
Omenya, F., Paiss, M., Li, X., & Reed, D. (2023). Energy and power evolution over the lifetime of a battery. ACS Energy Letters, 8(6), 2707-2710.
Onuselogu A., Ohamobi I.N. and Ezeaku S.N. (2016). Budgeting Techniques on the Effective Management of Institutions of Higher learning in Anambra State of Nigeria, COOU Journal of Vocational Education and Research, (COOUJOVOCEDAR) Vol. 1, No.1 (PP139-149)
Osegbue,G.C ; Ohamobi, I.N; & Alordiah,C.O (2025) Enhancing school safety and security:Developing and implementing effective protocols for a secured learning environment. African Journal of Social Behavioural Science.15(2)1018-1033.
Prasad, U., Prakash, J., Kannan, A. N. M., Kamavaram, V., & Arumugam, G. K. (2023). Failure analysis of lead‐acid batteries at extreme operating temperatures. Battery Energy, 2(4), 20230008.
Raman, N. S., & Barooah, P. (2019). On the round-trip efficiency of an HVAC-based virtual battery. IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, 11(1), 403-410.
Schiffer, J., Sauer, D. U., Bindner, H., Cronin, T., Lundsager, P., & Kaiser, R. (2007). Model prediction for ranking lead-acid batteries according to expected lifetime in renewable energy systems and autonomous power-supply systems. Journal of Power sources, 168(1), 66-78.
Wang, P., Xiong, R., Shen, W., & Sun, F. (2025). Aging-induced, rate-independent Lithium plating: A complete mechanism analysis throughout the battery lifecycle. Applied Energy, 393, 126094.
Zhou, Z., Duan, B., Kang, Y., Zhang, Q., Shang, Y., & Zhang, C. (2023). Online state of health estimation for series-connected LiFePO₄ battery pack based on differential voltage and inconsistency analysis. IEEE Transactions on Transportation Electrification, 10(1), 989-998.
Open Access
IDEA (International Development of Economics and Administration Journal) is a national peer reviewed and open access journal that publishes significant and important research from all area of Development of Economics and Administration.
This journal provides immediate open access to its content that making research publish in this journal freely available to the public that supports a greater exchange of knowledge.
Copyright
Submission of a manuscript implies that the submitted work has not been published before (except as part of a thesis or report, or abstract); that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere; that its publication has been approved by all co-authors. If and when the manuscript is accepted for publication, the author(s) still hold the copyright and retain publishing rights without restrictions. Authors or others are allowed to multiply article as long as not for commercial purposes. For the new invention, authors are suggested to manage its patent before published. The license type is CC-BY-SA 4.0.
Disclaimer
No responsibility is assumed by publisher and co-publishers, nor by the editors for any injury and/or damage to persons or property as a result of any actual or alleged libelous statements, infringement of intellectual property or privacy rights, or products liability, whether resulting from negligence or otherwise, or from any use or operation of any ideas, instructions, procedures, products or methods contained in the material therein.
