Abstract
Solar photovoltaics and the associated applications are now considered the most promising technologies for a sustainable future. The performance of the PV power plants is not studied in detail with respect to the influence of various weather parameters like rain, relative humidity, and atmospheric pressure on energy generation. The objective of this research work is to analyze and model the weather impact of a utility-scale PV power plant in a tropical region. The methodology involves the detailed analysis of the PV plant performance for various weather seasons and modeling the energy generation based on important weather parameters obtained from a Solar Radiation Resource Assessment (SRRA) station installed at the PV power plant location itself. Solar generation and its performance are affected during the rainy seasons, and it turns out to be a typical phenomenon in the humid tropical region. A regression model of solar generation for all the weather seasons is generated based on different weather parameters.
Highlights
Solar PV has a greater role in the global energy transition for meeting the challenges of climate change
This research work studied the influence of important weather parameters on the performance of a utility-scale power plant installed in a humid tropical region in the state of Kerala, a southern state of India
Big data collected from the Solar Radiation Resource Assessment (SRRA) station is used in this research work for accurate estimation
Summary
Solar PV has a greater role in the global energy transition for meeting the challenges of climate change. The demand for solar PV is increasing across the world, and it becomes the most competitive option for electricity generation in many numbers of countries. The major share in gridconnected renewables is from utility-scale solar power plants and from the rooftop sector. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, solar generation is increased by 28% from the previous year based on the data available from the sources [3]. Ground-mounted utility-scale solar PV projects had a major share of 70-72% in the global installed capacity. Utility-scale PV plants continue to be the major contributor to PV capacity addition in the world [4]. The performance of the solar PV power plant is influenced by various weather parameters like solar irradiation, temperature, wind speed, International Journal of Photoenergy
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