New Location Selection Criterions for Solar PV Power Plant

Abstract

India is the seventh largest country in the world and blessed with adequate solar radiation, therefore to setting up a Photovoltaic power plant is a lucrative option. Indian climatic conditions vary enormously from east to west and north to south due to its geographical position in the world map. It is also observed that in actual field conditions the performance of the PV modules vary significantly when compared to Standard Test Condition (STC) due to large change in environmental conditions. Now it is very important to study the exact meteorological parameters for different locations in India before installation of a Photovoltaic power plant. In this paper, the long-term meteorological parameters for the seventy considered locations in India from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) renewable energy resource website (Surface Meteorology and Solar Energy) are collected and analyzed in order to study the behaviour of solar radiation, insolation on an equator-pointed surface that is tilted at latitude angle, insolation clearness index, daylight hours, air temperature and relative humidity of India to select an ideal location for installation of PV power plant. The analysis of the paper helps the investors, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Electricity Authority and Planning Commission to know which locations in India are environmentally ideal for installation of PV power plant.