Abstract
Optimizing the output power of a photovoltaic panel improves the efficiency of a solar driven energy system. The maximum output power of a photovoltaic panel depends on atmospheric conditions, such as (direct solar radiation, air pollution and cloud movements), load profile and the tilt and orientation angles. This paper describes an experimental analysis of maximizing output power of a photovoltaic panel, based on the use of existing equations of tilt angles derived from mathematical models and simulation packages. Power regulation is achieved by the use of a DC-DC converter, a fixed load resistance and a single photovoltaic panel. A data logger is used to make repeated measurements which ensure reliability of the results. The results of the paper were taken over a four month period from April through July. The photovoltaic panel was set to an orientation angle of 0? with tilt angles of 16?, 26? and 36?. Preliminary results indicate that tilt angles between 26? and 36? provide optimum photovoltaic output power for winter months in South Africa.
Highlights
Einstein said, ‘‘the release of energy has not created a new problem, but has made more urgent the necessity of solving an existing one’’ [1]
The maximum output power of a photovoltaic panel depends on atmospheric conditions, such as, load profile and the tilt and orientation angles
This paper describes an experimental analysis of maximizing output power of a photovoltaic panel, based on the use of existing equations of tilt angles derived from mathematical models and simulation packages
Summary
Einstein said, ‘‘the release of energy has not created a new problem, but has made more urgent the necessity of solving an existing one’’ [1]. In the quest to harness clean cheap energy from the sun, a phenomenon was discovered in the early 19th century, where electrical energy is generated using the photovoltaic (PV) effect [2]. It has a surface temperature close to 5500 ̊C and it radiates energy at a rate of 3.8 × 1023 kW per second on an average daily basis [3]. Solar energy can be converted directly into electricity with modules consisting of PV cells. Electricity is usually manufactured from fine film semiconductor devices capable of converting direct solar radiation into DC current. The efficiency of PV cells varies from 3% to 31%, depending on the technology, the light spectrum, atmospheric condition, temperature, design and the material used [4]
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