Exploiting existing dams for solar PV system installations

Recognizing the issues of land shortage and growing concerns for protecting natural lands, installers, project developers with the help of scientists and engineers try to locate alternative spots for PV-systems installations. In the present paper the authors describe a novel approach, installing PV systems on the outside face of dams. This approach, although currently applied very moderately, has certain advantages that favor even large-scale systems with a capacity of several MWs. In the case of energy-producing hydroelectric dams, the created hybrid system can be notably efficient. The intermittent solar energy will be counterbalanced by hydropower. At the same time, peak demand will be partially covered by PV energy production, ensuring energy availability. Recent research reviewed by the authors has revealed that a notable number of water reservoirs in African continent are under-utilized or don't serve any energy production purpose. That unexploited energy potential apart from being utilized through hydropower development can also be amplified by simultaneous solar system installation. Supplementary power capacity will increase the total energy production and result to economic and environmental benefits.

In promoting the renewable and sustainable energy installation, carbon taxation is one of the commonly applied policies in controlling the fossil fuel energy consumption and production, particularly in the type of fossil fueled energy. Carbon tax is levied based on the quantity of carbon dioxide generated during energy production and consumption. Therefore, how to decide a reasonable tax rate is a critical issue for governments when setting an executable tax bill. This research uses System Dynamics (SD) approach to evaluate the influence of carbon tax on the installation of PV systems and the effects on electricity costs. Meanwhile, the decision analysis of the taxation allocation on supporting renewable energy (in our case study, the photovoltaic) system is conducted. The SD qualitative and quantitative models are built based on several realistic scenarios using Taiwan's national data to evaluate the achievement and benefit of the carbon tax policy. These results are valuable references for government energy policy makers globally with respect to developing country-specific carbon tax framework and subsequently promoting photovoltaic systems as effective renewable energy solution.

Innovative decision-making for solar photovoltaic system installation in residential energy hubs: A probabilistic dynamic planning approach

Due to the advancement of technology, environmental awareness and economic viability, the installation of photovoltaic systems at load points in distribution networks can fulfill the power demands among electrical power system utilities and consumers. To benefit the consumers who install the PV systems a two-way billing system called as ‘Net – metering’ is introduced which can surpass the issues of voltage drop, power cutoffs due to overloading. In addition, this system also exports the energy to grid in case of excess power generation from PV systems at consumer end. This paper fulfills the research gaps in identifying who gets maximum benefits and bear major cost among the utility and the consumer. Since distribution companies (DISCOMS) are at the tail end of the electricity supply management, being the important link with the consumer thus having the potential to expedite the growth of solar rooftop sector. For this study, ten month’s real time data for two PV systems installed at Saharanpur, UP, India is collected from Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL). This research also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of installation of PV systems in distribution networks in terms of billing benefits to consumers, transmission and distribution losses and harmonic distortion.

The focus of this research is to design a ground-mounted photovoltaic system at optimal tilt angle and interrow space to meet high demand of electrical energy. The Department of Electrical Engineering and Technology, GC University Faisalabad has been considered to perform the simulation test. This study is conducted using Meteonorm software for solar resource assessment. Furthermore, HelioScope software is used for modeling of a ground-mounted photovoltaic system, study of PV system’s performance in terms of annual generation, system losses and performance ratio and analysis of photovoltaic module’s performance, current-voltage and power-voltage curves for different irradiance levels. From SLD, it is seen that 11 strings are connected to each inverter and inverters output power are combined by using 20.0 A circuit interconnects. The performance of photovoltaic systems is impacted by tilt angle and interrow spacing. From simulation results of all cases, it is concluded that the PV system installed at 15° tilt angle with 4 feet interrow spacing are more efficient than the other installed PV systems, because total collector irradiance is maximum (1725.0 kWh/m2) as compared to other tilt angles. At 15° tilt angle, the annual production of photovoltaic system is 2.265 GWh and performance ratio of PV system is 82.0%. It is envisioned that this work will provide the guidance to energy system designers, planners and investors to formulate strategies for the installation of photovoltaic energy systems in Pakistan and all over the world.

The installation of residential photovoltaic systems: Impact of energy consumption behaviour

A review on modeling, design methodology and size optimization of photovoltaic based water pumping, standalone and grid connected system

The rising energy demand for school's buildings in Palestine is one of the problems facing the energy sector. This paper aims to provide estimation for the potential production of electricity from the installation of PV systems on the roof of schools' buildings, to produce its energy needs and to provide electricity to its surrounding buildings. The most used school building types were selected for the installation of the photovoltaic (PV) system. The produced electricity from the installation of PV systems was estimated using PVSOL software. The energy consumption for the selected type of the schools was simulated using design-builder thermal simulation software. A comparison between energy production and consumption was done for two climatic zones, with different tilt angles and different scenarios for the school's building envelope and indoor systems. The results show that the PV systems on schools' buildings can supply their estimated consumption, and provide a surplus in electricity production. This surplus can be a base for the transition to renewable energy in the residential areas surrounding school buildings. The study concluded that the installation of PV systems should be combined with building envelope thermal improvements or a combination of envelope improvements and heating and cooling systems.

With the energy crisis and the constant blackout in the Mozambique Power Company grid, the option of applying solar photovoltaic (PV) systems has been one of the most used alternatives in the neighborhoods of the Maputo region. However, inefficient power delivery caused by unproper sizing and installation of stand-alone solar PV systems has been contributing to the low utilization of solar energy potential in the Maputo region. The optimal sizing and installation of the solar PV system is addressed to evaluate the influence of installation and operation parameters on the power output of PV modules. In this topic, PV modules parameters such as cell temperature, the module’s slope and azimuth angles, the losses caused by excessive heating of the module cells, shadows and dust on the PV module and the cooling process at the back of the module are assessed in order to find out the consequence of inadequate installation and operation parameters of solar PV systems in the Maputo region. The proper sizing and installation of the stand-alone solar PV system is fundamental to guarantee the continuous and efficient supply of power and, thus, different tools and techniques have been applied. This study will deal with the hybrid optimization of multiple energy resources (HOMER) and system advisor model (SAM), to size and improve power generation of solar PV systems. This study concluded that for the Maputo region, the optimal tilt angle is 23 ± 2° and the azimuth angle is 11 ± 2°. In addition, for optimization of the tilt and azimuth angles, it also examined the effect of module backside ventilation and proved that the system’s power generation increases with the rise of spacing between the module and the wall, since the strategy prevents the decline of the module cells efficiency. However, the maximum recommended spacing between the PV module and the mounting wall is about 0.4 m, since an effort to increase the spacing up to this level results in an insignificant growth of power output.

Socio-psychological impacts of the introduction of energy technologies: Change in environmental behavior of households with photovoltaic systems

Development of fire safety best practices for rooftops grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems installation using systematic review methodology

As the key solution for energy sustainability this decade, the growth of installing photovoltaic (PV) systems has dramatically increased. However, the high penetration of PV systems can cause a voltage variation problem in a distribution grid. This paper proposes a model for evaluating the maximum potential for installing PV systems in an urban area under a bus voltage constraint. A PV system is considered as an energy system alternative that replaces a conventional system. Regarding the power variation, it is necessary to add a parameter that is used to evaluate the variation of PV systems in terms of a standard deviation to the PV systems' electric load curve. The installations of PV and conventional systems are determined as share solutions for each load area along a distribution network. Total power loads and variations in each load area are input to a load flow calculation to obtain each bus voltage and confirm the voltage constraint. Finally, the total PV system installations over the whole network area is maximized. The alternative PV system with battery installation is introduced to validate the model evaluation when comparing with a typical PV system without a battery, which has larger power variation. Furthermore, adjusting the sending voltage at a substation to increase the PV installation is validated using the proposed model. Copyright © 2009 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The U.S. DOE’s Office of EERE National Solar Energy Technology Program (SETP) calls for a “National Accreditation and Certification Program for Installation and Acceptance of Photovoltaic Systems.” A near-term goal listed in the U.S. Photovoltaic Industry’s Roadmap, 2000 - 2020 is to work to establish standards, codes, and certifications which are essential for consumer protection and acceptance as part of the goal of building toward a viable future PV industry. This program paves the way for a voluntary national certification program for PV system practitioners and installers, initiation of the first steps toward certification of hardware, and reinforcement of all five of the technical objectives in the Systems category of SETPs Multi-Year technical Plan. Through this project, NABCEP will direct the continued initiation of and sustained implementation and administration of the NABCEP Solar PV Installer Certification Program (hereafter the “Program”). The NABCEP Program is a national, voluntary program designed to provide certification for those PV installers who demonstrate the requisite skills, abilities and knowledge typically required to install and maintain PV systems. The core document upon which the Program was developed and upon which the national exam is based, is referred to as the (Program) Task Analysis. It is a thorough descriptive document containing specific psychomotor and cognitive tasks for the purposes of identifying the types of training/assessment methods that apply. Psychomotor skills require measuring, assembling, fastening and related activities. Cognitive skills require knowledge processing, decision-making and computations. NABCEP effectively evaluates an applicant’s psychomotor skills through review of a candidate’s PV installations and hands-on training received. NABCEP evaluates the candidate’s cognitive skills through administration of its national Program exam. By first qualifying for and then obtaining the required passing score, NABCEP certificants receive an accreditation that upholds NABCEP’s standards of quality, compliance to applicable codes and safety in PV installation. The objectives of DOE’s National Solar Energy Technology Program (SETP) are intrinsic to NABCEP. As detailed in the PV Roadmap, the lifespan of a PV system is a function of reliability and value. PV system reliability is directly dependent upon the quality of components and, design, installation and maintenance of a system. The latter three are all core components of the NABCEP Task Analysis - accordingly NABCEP certified installers will be instrumental in improving reliability of systems through safe, code and manufacturer-compliant installation and necessary post-installation maintenance of PV systems. This will have the effect of ensuring and increasing the performance of installed systems and, as consumers realize the benefits of well-installed and maintained systems, increased demand will follow and manufacturers will respond - supporting further growth in the PV industry. Furthermore, as more NABCEP certified installers perform these installations and maintenance competently, additional installations (whole system re-installations) and unnecessary repairs can be avoided. This will drive down system costs. This combined with creation/enhancement of the DE-FG36-04GO14348/005 NABCEP Central Data Base of Installers – providing consumers with installation/maintenance service options will further reduce system costs and help meet the overall goal of reducing life cycle costs. As consumers receive more value from PV systems which are providing longer, trouble free, renewable energy, they will join the ranks of professionals and enthusiasts calling for reduced technological barriers to installation (particularly for grid-tied systems). States and utilities will react to pressure and begin easing onerous net-metering and other technological restrictions. The benefits of NABCEP’s Program will be evident to consumers, manufacturers, distributors, state energy officials and solar academic institutions. Consumers benefit through increased system performance and reduced costs. Manufacturers of PV and balance of system components as well as distributors support and benefit from NABCEP because of assurances that systems are installed in accordance to code (i.e., NEC) and their specifications, resulting in longer life. Collaborators including state energy officials (i.e., New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) benefit by knowing that rebate funds are spent on systems whose benefits will far exceed system costs. Program Objectives The improvements and advantages offered by a national voluntary certification program can only expand the horizons for photovoltaic applications.

Since China is the largest CO2emitting country in the world, photovoltaic (PV) systems are expected to be widely installed to reduce CO2emission. In general, available area for PV installation depends on urban area due to differences in land use and slope. Amount of electricity generated by a PV system also depends on urban area because of differences in solar irradiation and ambient temperature. The aim of this study is to evaluate the installation of large-scale PV systems in suburbs of China, taking these differences into consideration. We have used a geographic information system (GIS) to evaluate amounts of installation capacity of large-scale PV systems, electricity generated, and CO2emission reduction by the installation capacity of large-scale PV systems in suburbs of Liaoning, Shanghai, Anhui, and Guangdong. In Liaoning, the amount of CO2emission reduction by the installation capacity of large-scale PV systems was estimated to be the largest, 3,058 kt-CO2/yr, due to its larger amount of the installation capacity, 2439.4 MW, than the amount of the installation capacity in other regions.

The impact of the installation of a large-scale photovoltaic (PV) system to the electric power grid management is analyzed in a series of two works: Part 1 and Part 2. The PV generation is estimated in Part 1. By applying the results of Part 1, the Guatemala’s electric power grid management is simulated with a virtually-installed large-scale PV system using a nonlinear analysis model in this work, Part 2. The thermal power plants reduced their operation in the simulation by installing the PV system, however the effect of the PV system installation to the plants is different in each thermal power plant. The contribution of the PV installation to the reduction of operation of the largest generation thermal plants is very limited or null, because of their high efficiency and low cost in operation. On the other hand, the middle-large generation thermal power plants reduce their operation after installing PV system in this simulation. The reduction of thermal plants’ operation becomes large, but its reduction gradient becomes small as the PV installing capacity becomes large.