Application of Discrete Event Simulation to Rooftop Solar Panels Installation

Solar energy is gaining more and more attention recently. Governments are encouraging personnel and companies to invest in solar energy. One convenient way to facilitate solar energy use is via rooftop photovoltaic (PV) installations. Hence, there is a need to model and simulate the PV installation process and study different impacts and events that would arise during this process. This paper presents a discrete event simulation of solar panel installation. The simulation is divided into two main parts. The first part models the installation process as a queuing system, where the customers' arrival and service time are considered. The installation events include design, approvals, inspection, and utility interconnection. The second part focuses on the power flow between the customer and the utility, considering the installed PV panels and the solar power distribution. The simulation results provide good measures for management to take strategic actions that will help improve customer service time, handle unexpected events, and get information about the installed solar panel's power flow after the installation process is completed.