Abstract
Solar tracking is an efficient strategy to increase the radiative capture of photovoltaic collectors. Within the multiple efforts made in recent decades to improve the production of these facilities, various works have studied solutions to optimize the number of rotation axes (single or dual rotation axes), the degree of collector coverage, the distances between trackers, the geometric arrangement of trackers or the minimization of shading between collectors. However, although in this type of installation it is common to find collectors with geometric shapes other than rectangles, no studies on the influence of the shape of the collectors on the radiative incidence are found in the literature. In this connection, the present work systematically addresses the study of incident solar radiation in photovoltaic installations with dual-axis trackers with collectors of different geometric shapes. By means of the exhaustive study, the conclusion is drawn that, for dual-axis photovoltaic installations with an optimal tracking strategy, the main variables that influence the annual radiative incidence are the spacing between collectors, the coverage ratio (GCR), and the collector surface, while the type of arrangement of collectors and the shape of these do not show predictive values.
Highlights
There is no doubt about the important role that energy plays in our societies
The study, applied to multiple cases, generated as variations with respect to the design adopted in an existing PV Plant (“El Molino”, located in Córdoba) allows for identification of the design variables that fundamentally influence the annual incident irradiation on the solar collectors and, on the energy production of the PV plant
The annual incident solar radiation on the solar collectors was calculated, using for this the irradiance estimation model of Perez [43] and assuming that they were governed by a tracking strategy that optimized radiative capture while avoiding intershading between collectors [37,38]
Summary
There is no doubt about the important role that energy plays in our societies. Its implications go beyond mere technical aspects. Economic development, and the environment, among others, are aspects that make up the complex implication of energy in the global agenda [1]. In this context, renewable energies have been experiencing sustained growth in recent years. The International Energy Agency (IEA) foresees a record increase of 218 GW in the year 2021 in the net capacity of renewable electricity installed in the world, in an average scenario, that could reach up to 266 GW, in an accelerated scenario [2]. During the first quarter of 2020, renewable energies were the only source of electricity whose demand increased despite the 2.5% decrease in global electricity demand caused by the blockades implemented by different governments to curb the spread of COVID-19 [3]
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