STUDY OF PHOTOVOLTAIC GRID-CONNECTED STATION EFFICIENCY IN THE ANNUAL CYCLE

Abstract

This study determines the grid-connected photovoltaic plant efficiency in harsh conditions of extreme continental climate of the Ural-Siberian Region of Russia. Based on theoretical and experimental study of a 540 W on-grid photovoltaic plant operation, it has been determined that the installed capacity utilization factor in these climatic conditions was at the level of 8% in the annual cycle. It is caused by low solar radiation intensity during a considerable part of the year. At the same time, the installed capacity utilization factor in the spring and summer period can reach 50– 60%. Comparison of the efficiency of the tilted and vertical placement of photovoltaic modules caused by high snow loads during the cold period of the year is carried out. This study presents a mathematical model used for the purposes of calculation of the solar radiation on the Earth's surface based on a Fourier series in daily, monthly, and annual cycles. It takes into account the probabilistic nature of the solar radiation input, as well as stochastic component caused by the changes in atmospheric transmittance. Empirical test has demonstrated high convergence of calculation results with the available statistical data on the solar radiation input. This makes it possible to apply this model for the purposes of determining the solar radiation in the design of solar plants with a sufficiently high accuracy.