Calculation procedure to improve the assessment of photovoltaic generation in solar maps

Abstract

The Zero Energy Building (ZEB) target and the higher affordability of photovoltaic (PV) systems are pushing Governments and large Companies operating in electricity generation and distribution network management to develop tools able to better define the potential productivity of PV systems on a large scale, such as solar maps. However, solar maps mainly consider phenomena related to weather and geometry, with a low level of detail on second order effects. This research aims at the integration of additional technical aspects into solar maps, by means of diagrams able to increase the reliability in the assessment of potential electricity generation. For this purpose, more technical factors are taken into account, such as the variation of PV panel efficiency with cell temperature, the shadow cast by the preceding PV panel array, here including the action of by-pass diodes, and the ratio of active area over the area available for installation.