Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
8122610 Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments 2018 7 Pages PDF
Abstract
Maximization of the incident energy at surfaces of the photovoltaic modules is among the key factors of energy extraction maximization. In this paper, fixed tilt solar-PV systems are considered. The incident solar energy maximization problem is formulated as the maximization of the solar energy incident on the flat surfaces of the traditional flat solar-PV modules. Therefore, the presented study is not applicable to the curved solar-PV modules. The monthly, seasonally, semi-annually, and annually fixed tilt alternatives have been tested, then the optimal alternative has been selected. The Sahara middle (Adrar) district is considered as a representative site at the Algerian Big South as the long-term meteorological data are available from the ground meteorological station there. In comparison with the horizontally placed solar-PV modules, it is found that the incident solar energy increased by 20.61% for monthly, 19.58% for seasonal, 19.24% for semi-annual, and 13.78% for yearly adjustments. The results obtained with the ground measurements are compared with satellite measurements. It is found that the semi-annual adjustments in the tilt, which is estimated at 3.50° for the warm period (April - September) and 49.20° for the cold period (October - March) is the optimal compromise choice for the selected region.
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Energy Energy Engineering and Power Technology
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