PV Electricity Research Articles

Spatially resolved generation profiles for building, land and water-bound PV: a case study of four Dutch energy transition scenarios

Abstract. Alongside a transition from steerable and centralized traditional electricity generation to intermittent and more decentralized renewable electricity generation from solar panels and wind turbines, Dutch energy transition scenarios project a widespread deployment of heat pumps and electric vehicles towards 2050. While clearly contributing to the decarbonization of the Dutch energy system, these developments impose challenges regarding electricity supply-demand mismatch and grid congestion. Spatially resolved electricity demand and supply profiles are required to gain a better insight into where and when such problems are likely to occur within the different scenarios. The present paper focuses on Dutch solar energy supply and features the construction of geodatabases of scenario-specific, spatially resolved electricity generation profiles for building, land and water-bound PV. Country-level PV capacities are geographically distributed based on spatial variance in roof PV potential and availability of suitable land and water use areas. Corresponding electricity generation profiles are constructed using historical meteorological measurements, a diffuse fraction model and a anisotropic transposition model. Empirically found performance ratio profiles are applied to account for a multitude of performance loss factors, including shading, dust and inverter efficiency. In 2050, building-bound capacity is projected to show only limited overlap with both land-bound and water-bound PV capacity. On the other hand, regions with considerable water-bound PV capacity also tend to show considerable land-bound PV capacity. Compared to the present-day situation, yearly country-level PV electricity generation is projected to be a factor 18.5, 15.7, or 7.7 higher in 2050 when respectively following the Regional, National or International Steering scenarios.

A Photovoltaic Power Prediction Approach Based on Data Decomposition and Stacked Deep Learning Model

Correctly anticipating PV electricity production may lessen stochastic fluctuations and incentivize energy consumption. To address the intermittent and unpredictable nature of photovoltaic power generation, this article presents an ensemble learning model (MVMD-CLES) based on the whale optimization algorithm (WOA), variational mode decomposition (VMD), convolutional neural network (CNN), long and short-term memory (LSTM), and extreme learning machine (ELM) stacking. Given the variances in the spatiotemporal distribution of photovoltaic data and meteorological features, a multi-branch character extraction iterative mixture learning model is proposed: we apply the MWOA algorithm to find the optimal decomposition times and VMD penalty factor, and then divide the PV power sequences into sub-modes with different frequencies using a two-layer algorithmic structure to reconstruct the obtained power components. The primary learner is CNN–BiLSTM, which is utilized to understand the temporal and spatial correlation of PV power from information about the weather and the output of photovoltaic cells, and the LSTM learns the periodicity and proximity correlation of the power data and obtains the corresponding component predictions. The second level is the secondary learner—the output of the first layer is learned again using the ELM to attenuate noise and achieve short-term prediction. In different case studies, regardless of weather changes, the proposed method is provided with the best group of consistency and constancy, with an average RMSE improvement of 12.08–39.14% over a single-step forecast compared to other models, the average forecast RMSE increased by 5.71–9.47% for the first two steps.

Optimizing PV Power Output with Higher-Voltage Modules: A Comparative Analysis with Traditional MPPT Methods

Summary. The dynamically rising demand for electricity must be satiated by both conventional and unconventional power sources. PV electricity generation is essential. The installed PV sources are not used to their full potential due to low irradiance and poor weather. The goal of many research publications was to maximize PV power using different MPPT approaches. In order to extract the most power under the aforementioned circumstances, this study introduces a novel notion of using a voltage boosting PV panels. Additional PV panels are used in the suggested way to provide enough voltage and current. Using a voltage-boosting PV panel, a 20 kW panel is examined for low irradiance and unfavorable weather conditions. In a proposed method, results are compared with the previous INC MPPT method using a 20-kW panel. Through the power analysis, the proposed method extracted 1277.5 kW of power per year that is more than the INC MPPT method, and Rs. 10,220 per year was benefited during low irradiation alone. The power extraction and cost benefits are similar in cloudy and misty conditions. With power, cost, and efficiency analyses, the new method is contrasted with the traditional incremental conductance method and perturb and observe methods. Simulations were run using the MATLAB/Simulink programme, and experimental results were assessed using the appropriate hardware setup.

Experimental Investigation of Direct Solar Photovoltaics that Drives Absorption Refrigeration System

Renewable energy used for refrigeration applications has become essential very recently due to the fossil fuel crisis and the global warming problem. Moreover, using photovoltaic PV to generate electricity than using inverters and energy storage represents a high-cost process. This study aims to investigate the opportunity of using PV output directly to operate a refrigeration system. The absorption refrigeration system uses heat as an energy source for the generator that drives the system. Moreover, the absorption refrigeration system doesn't have a compressor but a generator. As a result, the novel aspect of this study is the use of PV electricity's DC output to power the heater that provides the needed heat for the generator without the use of an inverter that provides AC electricity. The essential very difference here is that the compressor needs a consistent and steady electric supply. However, using DC electricity for heating is not very restricted if the voltage fluctuates a bit. A 580 W PV was used to power a refrigerator with a capacity of 70 liters. During several tests, the freezer of the fridge reached -26 C and the cabin temperature was around 10 C. This finding was similar to the performance of this fridge on a conventional heater.

A Statistical Analysis of Long-Term Grid-Connected PV System Operation in Niš (Serbia) under Temperate Continental Climatic Conditions

This study analyzes the grid-connected PV system performances over a 10-year period under temperate continental conditions in Niš. Based on the experimental results, we found the following: the 10-year yearly average values of PV system efficiency, Yf, CF, and PR are 10.49%, 1178.51 kWh/kWp, 13.45%, and 0.87, respectively. The yearly average value of PV performances for a 10-year measurement indicates that the behavior of the given PV system over 10 years does not change significantly. Besides, a mathematical prediction model was obtained through regression analysis, and ANOVA was applied for testing the model’s validity. It is shown that the obtained model is statistically significant and enables prediction better than a simple average, the mean values of PV electricity are not changed statistically significantly over the 10 observed years, and there is a statistically significant difference in POA mean radiation during the months over 10 years. Based on the obtained model and POA radiation values, a prediction of the PV system output can be made for similar PV installations. The analysis presented in this study significantly impacts energy prediction, PV energy modeling, and the economics and profitability of the grid-connected PV system utilization, as well as the PV systems’ operation planning and maintenance.

Design and Viability Assessment of Grid-Integrated Solar PV System for Electric Power Supply Enhancement: A Case Study of Idofian, Nigeria

Recently, the demand for electric power supply has tremendously increased and the Nigerian government is unable to meet this demand, with conventional energy generation, due to myriads of issues in the electricity sector. A 2 MW grid-integrated solar photovoltaic system design is carried out in this work using Idofian, Kwara State, Nigeria, as a case study. The feasibility study for the Solar PV system along with the load estimation for the study area were done using RETScreen software. The simulation results revealed that the design is feasible for Idofian township, with an annual energy yield of roughly 2,853 MWh, of about 17% of Idofian's annual (daily) electricity consumption. Solar PV electricity generation saves around 1,182.7 tonnes of CO2. The plan, if adopted, will go a long way toward alleviating Nigeria's electricity shortage.

Hybrid PV/T Heat Pump System with PCM for Combined Heating, Cooling and Power Provision in Buildings

Hybrid photovoltaic-thermal heat pump (PV/T-HP) solar energy systems are promising since they can achieve a system total efficiency greater than 80%. By maximizing the output of a PV/T system for simultaneous heating and cooling, this strategy can meet over 60% of urban households’ heating needs and around 40% of their cooling needs. In this work, a novel PV/T evaporator was designed, fabricated, and an aluminium foil encapsulated hydrated salt (HS36) PCM was integrated with the PV/T evaporator of the PV/T direct expansion heat pump system (PV/T-DXHP). Energy analysis was carried out on the PV/T-DXHP system with PCM in tropical climate regions of India for achieving net zero energy buildings. The experimental study revealed that the average PV electricity efficiency was 14.17%, which is near the PV panel’s STC value. The average thermal efficiency of the system was 104.38%, and the PV/T system’s average overall efficiency was 117.58%. The heating and cooling COPs of the system were 5.73 and 4.62, respectively. It was concluded that net-zero energy buildings are possible with the help of photovoltaic heat pump systems that use PCM and solar energy to make electricity, cool spaces, and heat water.

Techno-economic analysis of waste-to-energy with solar hybrid: A case study from Kumasi, Ghana

The rapid growth in global energy demand in recent years has made global leaders think more about sustainability in the energy sector. Waste-to-energy (WTE) and solar energy are emerging areas in the energy sustainability discourse since terrestrial sustainability is of great concern. The study uses economic indices to evaluate the feasibility of WTE and solar plants at Oti landfill in Kumasi, Ghana, with the core objective of sustainable waste management through electricity production. Three scenarios were considered, (i) waste-to-energy plant alone, (ii) solar PV plant alone and (iii) combination of (i) and (ii) – hybrid. The Oti landfill receives a total volume of 891,000 tons per year of solid waste, which can be used to generate 379 GWh of electricity per year and has the potential to generate 85 GWh of electricity per year from solar with the assumption that one-half of the land surface area used waste to electricity and the other one-half is used for solar PV electricity. The study shows that all three scenarios are worth investing in, but the best investment option is the solar PV plant alone with NPV of mGHs 324.79, DPP of 4 years, IRR of 44% and DPI of 2.7. The WTE alone had NPV, IRR, DPI and DPP of mGHs 1122.11, 16%, 0.47 and 15.2 years, respectively. The WTE and solar PV composite had NPV of mGHs1445.9, IRR of 17%, DPI of 2.02 and the project initial cost recovery of 14.2 years.

Feasibility and Potential Assessment of Solar Resources: A Case Study in North Shewa Zone, Amhara, Ethiopia

The feasibility and potential assessment (PA) of solar PV energy is one of the key factors in identifying the most promising areas for the installation of solar PV stations. It determines the useful energy generated in the given area. This paper assesses the solar energy distribution and PA in the North Shewa administration zone. Based on the data collected and analysis made, it is found that more than 80% of the North Shewa areas are suitable for the solar energy generation for off-grid and on-grid systems. Hence, the solar potential of the North Shewa zone completely fulfills the standards of sunshine, solar radiation, and temperature. That is, most of the areas have solar radiation of 5.2 kWh/m2, and daily sunshine is greater than 7 h. The maximum energy production is found in December in Shewa Robit, Mehal Meda, Eneware, Debre Berhan, Alem Ketema, and Sela Dengay with 175.35 kWh, 188.18 kWh, 180.78 kWh, 189.54 kWh, 175.78 kWh, and 189.63 kWh, respectively. This is a good opportunity for investors to invest in solar PV electricity generation. It will solve the issue of electricity supply to the community, which currently relies on wood and fossil fuels. It also highlights the positive opportunities for the future implementation of solar energy.

Economic evaluation of solar PV electricity prosumption in Ghana

Residential and commercial facility users are looking for ways to reduce their energy bills; this has resulted in nano and micro solar energy production in the form of electricity prosumption in contemporary times. Several technical factors characterise rooftop solar projects informing the decision to go solar. Amongst these factors are the solar energy available from the PV system, self-consumption ratio and overall system efficiency. However, from the investor's viewpoint, the most critical factor is the economic viability of the proposed project. Since energy economics is vital to investors, the paper seeks to analyse the economics (financial feasibility and profitability) associated with different types of prosumers in Ghana's residential and commercial classes. The net present value, internal rate of return, profitability index, and discounted payback were the economic indicators used to appraise Ghana's financial feasibility and profitability of electricity prosumption. The study shows that electricity prosumption in Ghana is worth investing in. The best investment option in the residential and commercial classes is the prosumers with grid integration and without storage (type 2). In the residential tariff class, the best investment option is the prosumers, whose energy demands are between 301 kWh and 600 kWh.

Computational tool for technical-economic analysis of photovoltaic microgeneration in Brazil

This paper proposes a new computational tool, called SolarEnergy, which was implemented through an innovative methodology to perform technical-economic analysis of photovoltaic (PV) microgeneration in Brazil. SolarEnergy calculates energy flow and energy bill savings based on the rules of the Brazilian NEM scheme. From the maximization of the net present value, SolarEnergy provides the optimal nominal power according to the orientation and slope of PV panels and the electricity consumption profile. This functionality is crucial to avoid undersizing or oversizing, which commonly occurs in practice. In addition, the tool provides the following information: (i) electricity generation, (ii) net present value, (iii) modified internal rate of return, (iv) discounted payback time, and (v) sensitivity analysis of key parameters (e.g., nominal power, pv system cost, electricity tariff, and minimum attractive rate of return). Currently, such particularities are characterized as relevant differences in relation to other computational tools. The validation and applicability of SolarEnergy are demonstrated from case studies of PV systems installed in the state of Goiás, Brazil.

Fuelling the Energy Transition: the Effect of German Wind and PV Electricity Infeed on TTF Gas Prices

Fuelling the Energy Transition: the Effect of German Wind and PV Electricity Infeed on TTF Gas Prices

Analysis of House Space Heating System with Under-Ground Seasonal Energy Storage using PV Electricity Generation

Analysis of House Space Heating System with Under-Ground Seasonal Energy Storage using PV Electricity Generation

Environmental assessment of prosumer digitalization: The case of virtual pooling of PV battery storage systems

The emergence of decentralized renewable energies together with digitalization enable new possibilities for the provision of system services that are needed for the energy transition. In Germany and worldwide, prosumers with a PV battery storage system are on the rise. With the aid of digital information and communication technologies (ICT), energy service providers can pool individual battery storage units to form a virtual battery energy storage system (VBES). The VBES is supposed to provide flexibility services and, thereby, support the transition towards an energy system with high shares of intermittent renewables. Although the concept is environmentally motivated, a holistic environmental assessment is missing so far. Therefore, we carry out a life-cycle analysis that considers environmental benefits, as well as burdens of VBES. For this, we compare a PV battery storage unit in a German single-family household with and without participation in a VBES for the year 2018. We assess three levels of environmental effects: direct effects due to digitalization (data transfer, ICT resources for VBES operation), indirect effects from external optimization on the household-level (changes in battery life and power supply), and enablement effects on the system level (provision of Frequency Containment Reserve, redispatch, and preventing renewables curtailment). We find that digitalization has a comparably low direct impact but it can enable relatively high environmental benefits for climate protection, and in other impact categories. Conditions for our findings are that battery life and the household's degree of self-sufficiency with PV electricity are not significantly affected by the external control of the VBES operator. We conclude that current and future battery owners should be encouraged to allow external access for system services. Furthermore, the necessary ICT roll out should be implemented in the short- to mid-term.

EFFECT OF AZIMUTH ANGLE ON THE PERFORMANCE OF A SMALL-SCALE ON-GRID PV SYSTEM

Abstract: In this study, the effective solar irradiation on the PV surface, electricity generation, and performance ratios of a small-scale system were investigated for a 100 kW on-grid PV system in Konya, Turkey, by PVsyst software. Five different azimuth angles as -30°, -15°, 0°, 15°, and 30° were investigated for no-shading simulations with a fixed optimum tilt angle of 33°. As a result, the highest effective solar radiation comes to the system with an azimuth of 0° as 1966.4 kWh/m², which is 2.12%, 0.46%, 0.79%, and 2.66% greater than the other azimuth angles of -30°, -15°, 15° and 30°, respectively. On the other hand, it is seen that the highest energy production is obtained from the system with an azimuth angle of 0° with annual energy of 174.33 MWh. This value is 1.91%, 0.37%, 0.89%, and 2.8% greater than the other azimuth angles of -30°, -15°, 15°, and 30°, respectively. In addition, to evaluate the shading effect on the performance of the PV panels, two different panel spacings as, 4 m and 8 m, were also considered. It was seen that the electricity generation with an 8 m span system was 8.88% better than the 4m. Another finding is that the height of the panels is negligible according to electricity generation. Finally, the highest performance ratio is obtained from the azimuth angle of 0°, as 0.857.

Simultaneous design and operational optimization of hybrid CSP-PV plants

The dispatchability of renewable power plants and the role of energy storage are gaining relevance leading to the development of hybrid CSP-PV plants. This work investigates the optimal design of highly integrated CSP-PV power plants. The integration occurs not only at grid level (synergic operation as a virtual power plant), but also through the introduction of electric heaters, placed in parallel to the solar field: the excess PV electricity is converted into heat by electric heaters and stored in the CSP hot storage tank. The whole system design is optimized devising an ad hoc Mixed Integer Linear Program (MILP) which co-optimizes design and operational variables with accurate linearization of all nonlinear effects. Compared to the respective stand-alone technologies (only CSP or PV plus battery), the results show that the hybrid solutions can achieve similar or better dispatchability levels at a lower cost of electricity (LCOE reduction between −30% and −50%).

Peer-to-peer energy sharing with demand-side management for fair revenue distribution and stable grid interaction in the photovoltaic community

Peer-to-peer (P2P) energy sharing is considered a promising mode for developing the energy market, while the fairness of revenue distribution and utility grid stability is not widely concerned when implementing P2P energy sharing. Demand-side management (DSM) offers flexibility for community residents to participate in the P2P electricity market, which could help improve these issues. In this study, an innovative energy management method that integrates DSM into P2P energy sharing is proposed. It uses a uniform pricing and energy allocation mechanism based on the ratio of supply to demand, to ensure that every household can fairly participate in P2P sharing and enjoy low-cost PV electricity. Some evaluation indexes, i.e., power fluctuation factor and inequality index, are proposed to measure the grid stability and the fairness of revenue distribution. By considering these evaluation indexes and the total cost of the community, a multi-objective optimization approach is used to obtain the optimal scheduling scheme for flexible loads when community residents participate in the P2P sharing. The simulation results indicate that, compared to only P2P energy sharing, the proposed method could reduce the overall cost of the community, power fluctuation factor, and inequality index by 16.8%, 76%, and 62.6%, respectively.

The socio-economic impact of renewable electricity generation with prosumer activity

In order to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement, a rapid and far-reaching phase-out of fossil fuels is required. Against this background, Austria aims to cover 100% of its electricity generation from renewable energy sources by 2030. To meet this target in a standard scenario of final electricity demand, renewable electricity generation needs to be expanded by 27 TWh compared to 2019 (11 TWh PV, 10 TWh wind power, 5 TWh hydropower, and 1 TWh biomass). With respect to the ambitious expansion target for PV, the contribution of households, i.e., prosumers, will be of crucial importance.Depending on their background (most notably, type of building, income), the ability of different household groups to participate in the electricity market as prosumers—and hence, the possible distributive impacts of the electricity transformation—will vary substantially. Prosumers reduce the consumption of electricity from the grid and can thereby realize cost savings, increasing their consumption opportunities for other (non-energy) goods.This paper investigates the economic and distributive impact of increasing household PV electricity generation in Austria until 2030. For this purpose, the household module of the macroeconomic model DYNK is expanded, differentiating the degree to which households engage in “prosumer” activities. A set of PV support policy scenarios is then defined to simulate the increase in the number of prosumers as well as the distributive impacts on the different household types and the macroeconomic impacts with the expanded model. The simulation results show a small but positive effect of increased investment in residential photovoltaic systems on the GDP. With respect to the distributive effects, the design of the support scheme is essential. Targeting support for low-income households also has positive impacts on GDP growth.

Water evaporation reduction by the agrivoltaic systems development

The triple benefits of the AgriVoltaic Systems Development (AVSD) have been well demonstrated, not only for the PV electricity generation but also for reduced water evaporation, enhancing further the benefits of simultaneously crop growth on the same land area. However, the reduction rate of the water evaporation of AVSD has not been investigated in a quantitative way. Therefore, this study conducted experiments to measure water evaporation reduction under the Concentrated-lighting Agrivoltaic System (CAS) and the Even-lighting Agrivoltaic System (EAS). Evaporation containers and pans were placed in the bare soil (CK) under the CAS and the EAS. Our results showed a significant reduction in water evaporation under CAS and EAS. Cumulative soil surface evaporation of CK, CAS, and EAS for 45 days was 80.53 mm, 63.38 mm, and 54.14 mm. The cumulative water evaporation from soil and pan surfaces decreased by 21 % and 14 % (under CAS), 33 %, and 19 % (under EAS), respectively. The slope β1 ≠ 0 of simple linear regression showed a significant positive relationship between evaporation time and cumulative water evaporation. The correlation coefficient in all treatments was more than 0.91, suggesting a robust linear relationship. The feasibility of AVSD could significantly reduce irrigation water, enhance crop growth, and generate electricity simultaneously on the same agricultural land.

Smart power-to-gas deployment strategies informed by spatially explicit cost and value models

Green hydrogen allows coupling renewable electricity to hard-to-decarbonize sectors, such as long-distance transport and carbon-intensive industries, in order to achieve net zero emissions. Evaluating the cost and value of power-to-gas is a major challenge, owing to the spatial distribution and temporal variability of renewable electricity, CO2 and energy demand. Here, we propose a method, based on geographic information system (GIS) and techno-economic modeling, to: (i) compare the levelized cost and levelized value of power-to-gas across locations; (ii) identify potential hotspots for their future implementation in Switzerland; and (iii) set cost improvement targets as well as smart deployment strategies. Our method accounts for the spatial and temporal (both hourly and seasonal) availability of renewable electricity and CO2 sources, as well as the presence of gas infrastructure, heating networks, oxygen and gas demand centers. We find that only green hydrogen plants connected directly to run-of-river hydropower plants are currently profitable in Switzerland (with NPV per CAPEX ranging between 2.3-5.6). However, considering technological progress by 2050, a few green hydrogen plants deployed in the demand centers and powered by rooftop PV electricity will also become economically attractive. Moreover, a few synthetic methane plants connected to run-of-river hydropower plants currently show slight profitability (NPV per CAPEX reaching values up to 1.3) and in 2050 (NPV per CAPEX up to 3.1), whereas those connected to rooftop PV will remain uneconomical even in 2050. Based on our findings, we devise a long-term roadmap for policy makers and project developers to plan future green hydrogen projects. The proposed methodology, which is applied to Switzerland, can be extended to other countries.