Solar Photovoltaic Plant Research Articles

Techno-Economic assessment of synthetic E-Fuels derived from atmospheric CO2 and green hydrogen

E-fuels have long been thought of as one way to realise a carbon–neutral energy economy but many concerns over their economic feasibility have arisen over the years, shifting the dialogue away from their utilization, even though they provide a way to carbon-neutrally power the existing fossil fuel intensive infrastructures. In this article, we assess the potential of e-fuels as a net-zero carbon pathway and the economic implications of shifting the entire fuel demand in Saudi Arabia for powering its transportation needs to e-fuels through MTO-MOGD (Methanol-to-Olefin, Mobil’s Olefin to Gasoline and Distillate Fuels) process. This demand is currently ∼ 1 million barrel oil equivalent per day, and the study conducts a techno-economic analysis on a process simulation plant modelled to meet this demand. A minimum fuel selling price of 3.24 USD/litre for e-gasoline and 2.89 USD/litre for e-diesel were estimated, when the plant was powered by solar power. Levelized cost of e-fuel was estimated to be the lowest (∼379 USD/MWh) when the process was entirely powered by an in-situ solar photovoltaic plant and lithium ion battery banks and highest (∼564 USD/MWh) when the process was modified to produce additional methanol (while still being powered entirely by solar energy), across four different scenarios that were considered. These results show the economic implications of e-fuels aimed at decarbonizing the road transport (legacy fleet) and consequently the need for continuous and significant policy support.

Solar PV and BESS Plant-Level Voltage Control and Interactions: Experiments and Analysis

In real world operation, low-frequency oscillations associated with plant-level voltage control of inverter-based resources (IBRs) have been a concern of grid operators. This research aims to demonstrate and analyze the effect of plant-level voltage control on system stability and potential interactions among IBRs. The experiment results of a 13.2-kV system interconnected with two IBRs—a 1-MW battery energy storage system (BESS) and a 430-kW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant—are presented. Both 0.5-Hz and 3-Hz oscillations become visible at certain conditions. The phenomenon is further explained by use of a feedback system consisting of the plant-level droop control and the effect of reactive power or var injection on voltage. The main components of the block diagram are obtained via frequency scan measurements. The analysis offers an understanding of the main contributors and other influencing factors of the 3-Hz and 0.5-Hz modes. It also reveals the role of the volt-var droop gain, the low-pass filter time constant, and the system impedance in stability.

Nonunit Protection of Parallel Lines Connecting Solar Photovoltaic Plants

Fault current control by solar plant converters introduces different fault characteristics compared to conventional synchronous generator-based systems resulting in numerous issues to the available protection methods. In this article, the issues with conventional distance relaying is analyzed while protecting parallel lines connecting solar plant to grid and a new protection method is proposed using local voltage and current data. The proposed nonunit protection method derives positive sequence reactive powers for both lines for different solar plant operating conditions and uses their difference to ensure correct zone-1 protection. For faults during single circuit operation, the method includes an additional scheme comprising of instantaneous zero-sequence overcurrent check and delayed distance relaying to derive correct protection decision. Performance of the proposed nonunit protection method is tested for parallel lines connecting the solar plant in a 39-bus test system for different situations using PSCAD/EMTDC simulated data and found to be accurate. Comparative assessment reveals the high reliability of the proposed method.

Techno-economic assessment of power generation potential from floating solar photovoltaic systems in Bangladesh

Floating Solar Photovoltaic (FPV) plants, also known as floatovoltaic plants are showing great potential in the renewable energy sector all around the world. They can contribute to the national grid and provide support to the existing hydropower plants. Moreover, they positively impact the environment by reducing evaporation and improving aquatic lives simultaneously. Despite a decade of research, there has been no study on the technical potential of FPV plants on a riverine country like Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, there are several water infrastructures to accommodate FPV plants. In addition, a considerable amount of solar irradiation is available throughout the year because of the country's geographical location, making FPVs a significantly viable option for generating electricity. To this end, this study provides the first technical potential and economic feasibility assessment of some of the important water bodies of Bangladesh. The technical potential study is performed with the help of solar PVGIS and focuses on the contribution these plants can make to the national grid. The economic viability assessment simulations are done in System Advisory Model (SAM). Moreover, a thorough comparison between FPVs and inland solar plants is also conducted. The results show that after the installation, even with a conservative approach, FPV plants will be able to meet 1.1% of the demand of the capital Dhaka, the city with one of the highest population densities. In addition, FPV installation at Kaptai lake, which already has an existing hydropower plant, can meet up to 7% of the demand of the port city Chattogram. Moreover, economic parameters NPV, IRR and LCOE all indicate the projects are profitable and can be deployed in large-scale. This study will open doors to further research into the FPV potential of Bangladesh and help implement FPVs to meet the renewable energy goals of the country.

Coordinated PSO-ANFIS-Based 2 MPPT Control of Microgrid with Solar Photovoltaic and Battery Energy Storage System

The microgrid is a group of smaller renewable energy sources (REs), which act in a coordinated manner to provide the required amount of active power and additional services when required. This article proposes coordinated power management for a microgrid with the integration of solar PV plants with maximum power point tracking (MPPT) to enhance power generation and conversion using a hybrid MPPT method based on particle swarm optimization-adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (PSO-ANFIS) to acquire rapid and maximum PV power along with battery energy storage control to maintain the stable voltage and frequency (V-f) of an isolated microgrid. In addition, it is proposed to provide active and reactive power (P-Q) regulation for the grid connected. The approach used provides more regulation due to the least root mean square error (RMSE), which improves photovoltaic (PV) potential extraction. The comparison results of the PSO-ANFIS and P&O controllers of the MPPT and the controller of the energy storage devices combined with the V-f (or P-Q) controller of the inverter all show effective coordination between the control systems. This is the most important need for contemporary microgrids, considering the potential of changing irradiance in the grid following mode, the grid forming mode under an island scenario, and back-to-grid synchronization. With the test model, the islanded and grid-islanded-grid connected modes are investigated separately. The results demonstrate conclusively that the proposed strategies are effective. To run the simulations, MATLAB and SimPowerSystems are utilized.

Dust analysis in photo-voltaic solar plants with satellite data

Dust is a complex problem in evaluating photo-voltaic (PV) solar plants as it requires analog or digital sensors, pyranometers, heliostats, particle matter (PM) sensors, or similar devices for the dust or to consider the indirect reduction in the output or direct current. Novel techniques based on image analysis have been introduced in different fields, such as agriculture and the control of the vegetation, and in the last two years, PV panel evaluation techniques using satellite data have been considered. This paper presents the development of a new evaluation method for PV panels using satellites Landsat 8 and Sentinel-2 calibrated with dust sensors. The PV plant was spread across 400 ha and comprised 600,800 panels with a capacity of 192.26 MW. A meteorological station and a random forest (RF) model use information from 2019 to 2022 in the analysis. Our findings quantify the loss production per panel with detailed satellite image evaluation of the soiling, primarily owing to the dust covering each panel in the PV solar plant, using three years of data from 2019 to 2022. Accordingly, we obtain a mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.22, mean squared error (MSE) of 0.07, explain variance score of 0.88, and R2 score of 0.88.

Sustainable solar energy potential on marine passenger ships of Bay of Bengal: A way of reducing carbon dioxide emissions and disaster risk reduction

In Bangladesh, there are roughly 31 marine passenger ships that are in operation. These ships might be a good location for solar photovoltaic (PV) plants since solar energy is the best renewable energy to replace the fossil fuel used in the ships. A “tower rounded flower-shaped solar PV” system of PV panel arrangement—just looks like a “sunflower,” is proposed in this research. To harness maximum power, solar towers are designed in such a way that they may be freely rotated on their vertical axes and that the tilt angles of their solar panels can be adjusted from 0° to 50° on their horizontal axes freely. The “tower rounded flower-shaped solar PV” architecture of the PV array atop a maritime vessel is presented in this research along with a unique method for calculating the PV system's anticipated energy production. Finally calculated the realistic CO2 emission reduction by using this approach for a sustainable future. Applying globalsolaratlas (for horizon and sun's path estimation); PVsyst 7.2, HOMER Pro, and NREL's PVWatt calculator (for solar radiation calculation); vesselfinder (for the number of vessels analysis); shiptraffic (for vessels path analysis), this research suggests that marine passenger vessels are one of the best places to construct a proposed “tower rounded flower-shaped solar PV” power plant. According to estimates, 17 passenger ships can produce roughly 1240 MW of electricity per year and may save approximately 325.56 tons of CO2 gas emissions annually to the environment per year as compared to using fossil fuel-based power plants to produce electricity.

Economic and environmental solutions for the PV solar energy potential in Spain

Solar photovoltaic plants have become one of the most widely used installations for generating electricity in a sustainable manner. However, their optimization in terms of production and economics depends on various factors, such as meteorological phenomena specific to the selected site. Selecting the right location is fundamental, and therefore in this work we developed a geographical map for choosing the optimal sites on the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands (Spain) where build photovoltaic plants, considering the photovoltaic potential, the orography of the terrain and the losses caused by dust deposition on the modules, which can reach up to 10%. To calculate the losses due to dust deposition, the HSU model was used, which estimates the losses using variables such as accumulated precipitation or the concentration of particles. Consequently, economic profitability maps and amortization times were developed for a sized photovoltaic plant, obtaining figures of 806 M€ and amortizing the installation within 9 years in the worst case scenario. For this economic study, the investment cost (CAPEX) and the maintenance cost (OPEX), as well as the economic losses due to dust accumulation, were taken into account. As a complement, the savings in terms of tonnes of CO2 that would result from the construction of a dimensioned photovoltaic plant have been studied, arriving at a total annual saving figure of 3000M metric tonnes of CO2.

Why Does the PV Solar Power Plant Operate Ineffectively?

Quality, reliability, and durability are the key features of photovoltaic (PV) solar system design, production, and operation. They are considered when manufacturing every cell and designing the entire system. Achieving these key features ensures that the PV solar system performs satisfactorily and offers years of trouble-free operation, even in adverse conditions. In each cell, the quality of the raw material should meet the quality standards. The fulfillment of the quality management system requires every part that goes into the PV solar system to undergo extensive testing in laboratories and environments to ensure it meets expectations. Hence, every MWh of electricity generated by the PV solar system is counted, the losses should be examined, and the PV system’s returns should be maximized. There are many types of losses in the PV solar system; these losses are identified and quantified based on knowledge and experience. They can be classified into two major blocks: optical and electrical losses. The optical losses include, but are not limited to, partial shading losses, far shading losses, near shading losses, incident angle modifier (IAM) losses, soiling losses, potential induced degradation (PID) losses, temperature losses, light-induced degradation (LID) losses, PV yearly degradation losses, array mismatch losses, and module quality losses. In addition, there are cable losses inside the PV solar power system, inverter losses, transformer losses, and transmission line losses. Thus, this work reviews the losses in the PV solar system in general and the 103 MWp grid-tied Al Quweira PV power plant/Aqaba, mainly using PVsyst software. The annual performance ratio (PR) is 79.5%, and the efficiency (η) under standard test conditions (STC) is 16.49%. The normalized production is 4.64 kWh/kWp/day, the array loss is 1.69 kWh/kWp/day, and the system loss is 0.18 kWh/kWp/day. Understanding factors that impact the PV system production losses is the key to obtaining an accurate production estimation. It enhances the annual energy and yield generated from the power plant. This review benefits investors, energy professionals, manufacturers, installers, and project developers by allowing them to maximize energy generation from PV solar systems and increase the number of solar irradiation incidents on PV modules.

Short-term solar irradiance forecasting in streaming with deep learning

Solar energy is one of the most common and promising sources of renewable energy. In photovoltaic (PV) systems, operators can benefit from future solar irradiance predictions for efficient load balancing and grid stability. Therefore, short-term solar irradiance forecasting plays a crucial role in the transition to renewable energy. Modern PV grids collect large volumes of data that provide valuable information for forecasting models. Although the nature of these data presents an ideal setting for online learning methodologies, research to date has mainly focused on offline approaches. Hence, this work proposes a novel data streaming method for real-time solar irradiance forecasting on days with variable weather conditions and cloud coverage. Our method operates under an asynchronous dual-pipeline framework using deep learning models. For the experimental study, two datasets from a Canadian PV solar plant have been simulated as streams at different data frequencies. The experiments involve an exhaustive parameter grid search to evaluate four state-of-the-art deep learning architectures: multilayer perceptron (MLP), long-short term memory network (LSTM), convolutional network (CNN), and Transformer network. The obtained results demonstrate the suitability of deep learning models for this problem. In particular, MLP and CNN achieved the best accuracy, with a high capacity to adapt to the evolving data stream.

Novel V2G regulation scheme using Dual-PSS for PV islanded microgrid

The incorporation of electric vehicles (EVs) into residential/industrial microgrids (MGs) presents some limitations such as fluctuations in voltage, frequency, and lack of power supply. According to the literature, the control methods for vehicle-to-grid (V2G) in MGs are insufficiently coordinated for charging and regulation, limited by narrow charging control constraints, complex, and computationally demanding. Moreover, the power system stabilizer (PSS) is employed only in the generation side. To this regard, a PSS is proposed in this paper along with the proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller, which is tuned adaptively using Harris hawks optimizer (HHO) for frequency, voltage, and power-sharing regulations through the parked EVs. The considered islanded MG is consisting of a diesel generator as a backup generation source, dealing with the intermittent nature of the solar photovoltaic (PV) plant and residential load. It also includes an EV aggregator. In case of partial shading of the solar PV farm and triggering the load demand, the proposed control strategy provides a complementary signal to promote short response time during transients, boost the transient stability performance, and offer damping characteristics adequate for V2G regulation with the islanded residential MG. To examine the efficacy of the proposed scheme, a detailed simulation model using Matlab/Simulink was built. The final findings show that the proposed direct adaptive PID-PSS controller gives significantly enhanced voltage and frequency with spinning reserve compared to the conventional PI-controller both considering the inclusion of V2G on the MG regulation side and conventional controller without V2G and PSS on the regulation side. Also, it can provide power flow in a bi-directional way during the partial shading contingency that the residential MG may experience within 24 hr.

Techno-economic and GHG mitigation assessment of concentrated solar thermal and PV systems for different climate zones

In this study, energy production by two solar energy technologies, namely concentrated solar power (CSP) and photovoltaic (PV) power, is compared from a technical, economic and environmental perspective. Initially, a 50 MW CSP plant is modeled and simulated at four selected sites in Pakistan. Then, the most feasible location of the CSP plant is compared with the solar PV plant of the same capacity. The effect of the solar thermal storage size and cooling system of the CSP system is investigated, while the photovoltaic tracking system is investigated to evaluate the technical and economic performance of the power plants. Technical performance is evaluated based on energy generation and capacity factors metrics, while economic performance is evaluated with respect to levelized cost, payback period and net present value. In addition, environmental criteria such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), saving fossil fuels, and life-cycle water consumption are evaluated. From the results, it was concluded that the CSP plant located in Quetta is technically and economically viable. The capacity factor of the CSP plant is 36.6% compared to 19.8% for the PV plant, while the solar-to-electrical efficiency of the CSP plant is 14.2% compared to 20.8% for the PV plant. The required land area is 2.77 acres/GWh for the CSP plant and 2.33 acres/GWh for the PV plant, while the net capital cost of the CSP plant is five times higher than that of the PV plant. Various design parameters are optimized to obtain the minimum levelized cost of energy (LCOE) for both CSP and PV plants. The results of CSP and PV plants indicate that the LCOE can be reduced to 11.57 cents/kWh and 4.69 cents/kWh, respectively. Thus, the CSP plant performs better from the technical point of view while the PV plant performs better from the economic perspective.

Techno-Economic Modelling of Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power Transformers in South Africa

The increasing demand for electricity in South Africa has led to a rise in the deployment of solar photovoltaic systems. The integration of these systems requires the installation of power transformers to convert the generated DC power into AC power that can be fed into the grid. However, the high cost of these transformers can hinder the widespread adoption of solar PV systems. Consequently, the primary objective of this work is to introduce a novel service-lifetime loss estimation method that acknowledges the unique requirements of transformers facilitating solar photovoltaic applications. In reality, these transformers are required to facilitate a sporadic energy source, which advocates for an appropriate method to assess the cost of their service-lifetime losses and total ownership cost. Thus far, the energy elements of classical coal-power generation are inadequate, and in conformity with operational and financial considerations of solar PVs, a novel method incorporating the outcomes of a transformer facilitating a solar PV plant is proposed. The proposed approach has been benchmarked with existing methods and the distinction between proposed and existing methods is highlighted. The study further proposes various regression models for estimating the purchase price for transformers specifically intended to exclusively serve in solar PV applications, which are not available in the current South African standards. The percentage errors between the conventional method and the proposed solar PV method are relatively high, ranging from 34.66% to 44.03%. This indicates that the two methods produce significantly different results, and the proposed solar PV method may not be an accurate replacement for the conventional method.

PVSMS: A system for quantifying soiling effects and optimizing cleaning schedule in PV solar plants

Soiling of photovoltaic (PV) installations is an efficiency-limiting factor. It induces considerable energy losses and can even make PV projects economically unviable. A priori knowledge about the soiling phenomenon at a given site provides more guidance to PV project owners for effectively designing the solar field and accurately predicting the yield and profitability of the solar project. Soiling information can also improve the performance analysis of operational solar power plants. Recovering soiling losses begins with the installation of a reliable soiling monitoring system, followed by the implementation of optimized soiling mitigation or cleaning policies. In light of these facts, this work aims to provide a reliable and low-cost soiling monitoring station, named PVSMS (Photovoltaic Soiling Monitoring System). The working principle and detailed description of the hardware design are presented. The field validation of the proposed approach was performed by comparing the soiling loss data provided by PVSMS and the soiling loss on a real PV array, and it shows stable operation of the PVSMS and good agreement between the PVSMS data and the soiling losses quantified through the real PV array. A specialized soiling data analysis software tool has been developed to automate the soiling data analysis procedure and to assist operations and maintenance (O&M) teams in deciding on optimal cleaning dates. Furthermore, PVSMS has been used in a feasibility study of a large-scale PV project in a mining site. The result of this application demonstrates that PVSMS can provide valuable insight into soiling behavior and can also be used to optimize cleaning strategy, estimate its related costs and economic benefits.

Capacity Factors over the Lifetime of Solar Thermal and Photovoltaic Plants

The levelized cost of energy (LCOE) encompasses capital costs, operations and maintenance (O&M), and performance over the lifetime of a power plant. This parameter, important to compare renewable energy projects, is computed assuming an annual relative performance deterioration over the lifetime of the plant. The performance deterioration is revised to reflect operating data of the latest solar photovoltaic (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) plants. From data for the largest of these plants built in the United States over the last decade, we note a marked initial growth phase in the performance of PV plants likely originating from a refinement of design and improvement in the O&M, followed by a limited decline, and a stable performance in the CSP plants of the simplest and more reliable parabolic trough (PT) design without thermal energy storage (TES). It is therefore suggested to consider an annual performance deterioration 0–0.25% for novel photovoltaic plants, and 0% for novel CSP plants PT without TES. The performance deterioration of the novel CSP plants of the solar tower design or plants with TES cannot be assessed based on the lack of data. The suggested changes slightly reduce the LCOE of solar plants, by thus making them more competitive with wind plants.

Assessment of the impact of a 10-MW grid-tied solar system on the Libyan grid in terms of the power-protection system stability

Abstract The energy market in Libya is expected to face substantial changes in the next few years: electrical energy consumption will increase by 50% within the next 4 years. Therefore, there is a plan to gradually increase renewable energy sources in the power network by 2030 to 30%. Solar photovoltaic (PV) plants will play a significant role in the energy transition and the mix of energy sources in Libya. This article is a study conducted to investigate the challenges of power-flow management and power protection from integrating PV power plants into the Libyan power grid. In particular, a simulation model is built for the Kufra PV power plant (10 MW) with eight buses to assess the power network performance in terms of power quality such as voltage profile, power losses and harmonics. Furthermore, the impact of the PV plant on the short-circuit level and the power-protection system is presented under different operating conditions. The fault ride-through (FRT) is operated using standard ambient temperature and a wide range of irradiation intensity, and is verified by using the Libyan grid code. The results show that the integration of the PV plant into the grid has a significant impact on the short-circuit level and the FRT over the different fault levels and locations on the network. The initial period of the three-phase fault shows that the PV plant will be disconnected from the grid due to a decrease in the root mean square value voltages where the reactive and active power of the grid reach 938 MVAR and 261 MW, respectively. These results show that increasing the fault level will lead to an increase in injecting the active power. This work is considered the first extensive investigation into the challenges of modern power-flow management and power protection for the power network system in Libya.

MODELING AND ANALYZING THE EFFECT OF CONNECTION TO THE NETWORK OF A HARMONIC SOURCE HAVING VARIOUS TOTAL HARMONIC DISTORTION FACTORS ON LOAD SIGNAL WAVEFORMS

This article examines the effect of a network connected source of harmonics having a total harmonic distortion factor varying from 5% to 15% on load voltage and current waveforms. When a source of higher harmonics is connected to the network, both in the network and in the load, the effective values of voltage and current increase, that can negatively affect the cable line insulation, accelerating its destruction and aging.
 To analyze the consequences of a power quality deterioration, a 20 kV network was simulated, consisting of a 20 kV symmetrical generator, an XRUHAKXS-20(1x120/50) power cable line 20 km long, a step-down transformer 20/0.4 kV with a power of 2 MVA, with windings connected in delta-star, and a three-phase symmetrical load.
 The values of the currents flowing through the cable conductor, obtained as the result of simulation were used to calculate the voltage drop between the cable conductor and its shield. Results obtained show that the connection of a harmonic distortion source to a network leads to a magnification of a current flowing through the cable conductor by more than 2%. The model proposed in the article can be used further for a more detailed study of solar photovoltaic plants connection to the grid.
 One of the biggest problems regarding solar power plants is that its electricity generation is intermittent. Thus, future efforts should be focused on modeling and studying the higher harmonics generation during switching on and off of the solar photovoltaic plants.

Maintenance and inspection applied to photovoltaic solar plant, a case study at UFERSA-Caraúbas

The growing expansion of photovoltaic systems results in the need to perform maintenance routines and inspections in order to ensure that components and equipment function as expected, that is, normal productivity, operate with low risks to health, environment and safety. In this work, an analysis was carried out in the photovoltaic solar plant of UFERSA-Caraúbas, which included visual inspection and qualitative thermographic analysis, where the first one had the purpose of verifying the components and the photovoltaic arrangement itself, evidencing the factors considered abnormal; and the second, to recognize possible thermal anomalies present in the PV system and/or its components. Finally, it was possible to verify that the system in question has a considerable amount of modules with broken surface glass, in addition to the relevant presence of dirt on their surfaces. The thermographic inspection showed that the modules together with the inverters remain within the limit range determined by the manufacturers.

Load Frequency Control and Automatic Voltage Regulation in Four-Area Interconnected Power Systems Using a Gradient-Based Optimizer

Existing interconnected power systems (IPSs) are being overloaded by the expansion of the industrial and residential sectors together with the incorporation of renewable energy sources, which cause serious fluctuations in frequency, voltage, and tie-line power. The automatic voltage regulation (AVR) and load frequency control (LFC) loops provide high quality power to all consumers with nominal frequency, voltage, and tie-line power deviation, ensuring the stability and security of IPS in these conditions. In this paper, a proportional integral derivative (PID) controller is investigated for the effective control of a four-area IPS. Each IPS area has five generating units including gas, thermal reheat, hydro, and two renewable energy sources, namely wind and solar photovoltaic plants. The PID controller was tuned by a meta-heuristic optimization algorithm known as a gradient-based optimizer (GBO). The integral of time multiplied by squared value of error (ITSE) was utilized as an error criterion for the evaluation of the fitness function. The voltage, frequency, and tie-line power responses of GBO-PID were evaluated and compared with integral–proportional derivative (GBO-I-PD), tilt integral derivative (GBO-TID), and integral–proportional (GBO-I-P) controllers with 5% step load perturbation (SLP) provided in each of the four areas. Comprehensive comparisons between GBO-PID and other control methodologies revealed that the proposed GBO-PID controller provides superior voltage, frequency, and tie-line power responses in each area. The reliability and efficacy of GBO-PID methodology were further validated with variations in the turbine time constant and speed regulation over a range of  ± 25%. It is evident from the outcomes of the sensitivity analysis that the proposed GBO-PID control methodology is very reliable and can successfully stabilize the deviations in terminal voltage, load frequency, and tie-line power with a shorter settling time in a four-area IPS.

Lifecycle-based feasibility indicators for floating solar photovoltaic plants along with implementable energy enhancement strategies and framework-driven assessment approaches leading to advancements in the simulation tool

Floating solar photovoltaic (FSPV) systems that allow solar panel installations on water bodies are gaining popularity worldwide as they mainly avoid land-use conflicts created by, and for their superior performance over, ground-mounted photovoltaic installations. Though many studies in the FSPV literature showed how superior FSPVs perform, we still believe there are few potential opportunities for further enhancement in performance. On the other side, the industry’s delivery of FSPV installation service to clients is often questioned, highlighting that FSPV modeling is compromised, leading to false promises on energy performance and feasibility. This might be true given the lack of modeling tools specific to FSPV. With this hypothesis, this review investigates existing modeling approaches by FSPV researchers/industry people practicing and potentially implementable energy performance enhancement strategies leading to the advancement of modeling tools. The review outcome suggested that every FSPV researcher/service provider must carefully design and optimize the FSPV system considering suitable performance enhancement strategies, for instance, replacing conventional solar panels with bifacial ones and integrating various cooling and cleaning methods. Also, while assessing the feasibility, they must follow the lifecycle-based performance indicators that broadly fall under the techno-economic-environmental and social aspects with an appropriate framework-driven assessment approach. Lastly, we have shown a conceptual FSPV project simulation tool consolidating the performance indicators and explored performance enhancement strategies that we believe would help the FSPV community.