Abstract: Swiftlet bird’s nest is valued for its nutritional and medicinal qualities, highly prized by Asian communities globally. With rising consumers demand and a growing middle class, this industry is lucrative yet connectivity to the swiftlet farms remains an issue due to its rural location (close to bird’s natural habitats) and far from grid connection or any electricity supply. Thus, the demand of a completely off-grid powered solar PV system is highly sorted and viable. In this case study, PVsyst simulation software was utilized to design a fully off-grid photovoltaic (PV) solar system for a swiftlet farm in Bintangor, Sarawak, at GPS coordinates 2°10'05.7" N, 111°38'29.8" E. Currently powered by a grid-based supply, this study aims to transition the site to a sustainable off-grid solar PV system, serving as a model for future swiftlet farm developments in Sarawak. The site covers a total area of 847.32 m² (an irregular heptagon with a maximum length of 58 m and width of 17 m). At the design and estimation stage, it was determined that 252 solar panel modules, 240 batteries, 21 charge controllers, and a 11,000 W (DC to AC) inverter would be required to meet these needs yielding a total of energy of 74.49 MWh/year.
Keywords: PVsyst, Off-grid swiftlet farm, Design, Case Study.
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