Abstract
Incident solar radiation on photovoltaic (PV) solar panels is not constant throughout the year. Besides dependence on the season, solar radiation is reliant on the location and weather conditions. For a given location on Earth, the best-fixed orientation of a PV panel can be determined by achieving the maximum incident solar irradiance throughout the year or for a predetermined period. In this paper, we use a sophisticated atmospheric radiative transfer model to calculate the direct and diffuse solar irradiation (radiant exposure) for the solar spectrum incident on PV solar panels to determine the best tilt angle of the panel in order to maximize absorption of solar radiation for selected periods. We used the Regula-Falsi numerical method to obtain the tilt angle at which the derivative of solar irradiation (concerning the tilt angle) approaches zero. Moreover, the spectral response of typical silicon cells is taken into account. These calculations were carried out in São Carlos (SP), a town in the southeast of Brazil. The best tilt angle was obtained for three selected periods. Additionally, we provide results for Southern latitudes ranging from 0° to −55° in steps of −5° for the meteorological seasons. We have shown that for each period, there is an increase in solar radiation absorption compared to the traditional installation angle based exclusively on the local latitude. These calculations can be extended to any location.
Highlights
Electricity, as a type of energy, has become historically the cheapest and most widely used and has emerged as an essential and strategic resource for humanity
Our work is situated in this area where there are limited available resources. In view of this rationale, this paper is aimed at determining an optimum tilt angle for solar PV arrays in order to maximize incident solar irradiance on the array for specific periods, considering all solar irradiance components, i.e., direct normal, diffuse, and ground-reflected ones
The irradiance and solar irradiation incident on PV panels were calculated, and the best panel tilt angle was determined from the maximum absorption of solar radiation in the chosen periods
Summary
Electricity, as a type of energy, has become historically the cheapest and most widely used and has emerged as an essential and strategic resource for humanity. Electricity has not yet reached the entire world population, often depriving communities of the benefits this valuable resource can provide. In Brazil, there is a predominance of hydroelectric generation [1], comprising 64.54%, while the photovoltaic (PV) generation is only 0.02%. This alternative power generation is often presented as the only viable solution in remote regions or distributed forms of power generation and small installations. Photovoltaic solar tracking systems aim to maximize exposure of the panels to sunlight keeping them as close as possible in the orthogonal position to the incident rays. Tracking systems may not fully take into account the incidence of radiation scattered by the atmosphere and the surroundings.
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