PV Plant Research Articles

Assessment of the impact of utility-scale photovoltaics on the surrounding environment in the Iberian Peninsula. Alternatives for the coexistence with agriculture

The rapid growth of photovoltaic solar energy, to achieve decarbonization, has been accompanied by increasing land occupation and the subsequent concern in the agroforestry sector. The increase in land area occupied has been of 20% in recent years, boosting solar electricity production to 5.9% of the total in Europe. This fact raises the question of the impact on vegetation greenness and moisture in the rural environment, something that has not always been considered.Image analysis is presented as one of the most effective tools to estimate the variation of vegetation greenness and moisture. For this, terrestrial images, like those from unmanned aerial vehicles, can be used; however, this limits the amount of information available and/or increases the cost. The use of satellite images in different bands is a relatively new tool that can be exploited for the analysis of solar plants impact. This work presents a new way to use Sentinel imagery to analyse the impact of utility-scale solar plants on vegetation and moisture of the surrounding areas. According to our results, a moderate decrease in weighted index for both moisture (5%) and vegetation (3%) occurred after solar plant installation. It is expected that these results can be of help for the design of new PV and agrivoltaic plants, originating the Ground-Integrated Photovoltaics (GIPV).

Impact and Integration of Electric vehicles on renewable energy based Microgrid: Frequency profile improvement by a-SCA optimized FO-Fuzzy PSS approach

The modelling of an electric vehicle along with its integration and impact over a renewable energy based microgrid topology is well addressed in this manuscript. The frequent charging and discharging of the electric vehicle makes an oscillation over grid frequency. The performance especially frequency of an islanded AC microgrid is also affected seriously under the actions of different uncertainties like load dynamics, wind fluctuation in wind plant, solar intensity variation of PV plant etc. In order to maintain standard frequency, this research work aims to regulate the net power generation of the system in response to total demand. To monitor net generation, this work has intended a fractional order fuzzy power system stabilizer (FO-Fuzzy PSS) control scheme in several dynamic situations. The proposed FO-Fuzzy PSS control scheme acts as most potential candidate to pertain stability in system frequency in above discussed disturbances. The controller gains are tuned optimally with suggesting an advanced- Sine Cosine Algorithm (a-SCA) under different conditions. The performance of the optimal FO- Fuzzy PSS controller is compared over standard fuzzy controller and PID controller in regard to frequency regulation of microgrid system. It is observed that proposed FO-Fuzzy PSS control scheme has the credential to reduce settling time of ΔF1 (area1 microgrid frequency) by 98.60% and 250.82% over fuzzy controller & PID controller correspondingly. Further, the dynamic optimal performance of the proposed a-SCA is compared over original SCA and PSO techniques to justify its superiority.

Performance analysis and effect of pandemic condition on utility grid connected PV system

In this research paper effect of pandemic and performance analysis of the utility grid connected PV system under net metering is evaluated for one years based on PV plant generation data. The performance of the system depends on annual average final yield, reference yield, and array yield and their values are 3.87 kWh kWp-1. d-1, 4.57 kWh kWp-1. d-1, and 4.29 7kWh kWp-1d-1 the performance ratio and capacity utilization factor are 77.48% and 15.68%. Due to pandemic campus energy consumption is less so energy export to grid is more than the energy import from grid. As per the state energy policy minimum billing is done even the export units are more than the imported units which result in increase in return on investment (ROI) compared to post pandemic. The above statistics illustrate the quite strong performance of solar power plants built in the Indian state of the Andhra Pradesh, Guntur.

Multi-MPPT 72-Pulse VSC Based High-Power Grid Interfaced Solar PV Plant With Distributed DC-Coupled Battery Energy Storage

Multi-MPPT 72-Pulse VSC Based High-Power Grid Interfaced Solar PV Plant With Distributed DC-Coupled Battery Energy Storage

Pattern-based integration of demand flexibility in a smart community network operation

The proliferation of utilizing smart devices and electric vehicles (EVs) has engendered new opportunities for local distribution operators (LDOs) to flexibly energize these loads, given customers’ preferences. In this context, this paper proposes an integrated scheduling model allowing an LDO to efficiently incorporate and optimally reschedule potential demand flexibilities. Given the full knowledge of the LDO over the grid conditions and availability of its owned assets, we argue that an LDO can better reshape the load profiles of the customers than they could do. The proposed model couples the branch flow-based AC power flow model in distribution network with potential demand flexibilities classified into four generic types. The LDO is assumed to operate multiple solar PV plants, energy storage systems (ESS), and EV parking lots with smart charging stations. The practicality of the proposed model is investigated through two case studies implemented on the modified IEEE 33-node distribution test system. The simulation results reveal that the total operation cost of the community can be reduced by ∼10% without sacrificing customers’ comfort if the potential demand flexibilities are optimally rescheduled.

In-situ soiling evaluation and cleaning schedules optimization for several PV technologies under desert climate

This study has three objectives. The first one is the measurement and comparison of the soiling impact on three PV technologies: (i) Cadmium telluride (CdTe) (ii) monocrystalline (mono-Si) and (iii) multi-crystalline (m-Si) under a hot desert climate. The second one, is the evaluation of the dust homogeneity distribution on the panels surfaces and how it affects the electrical parameters (Isc and Pmax). As for the third one, we developed several cleaning scenarios to select the optimal one -for each technology and from techno-economical aspects-if installed in desert location. Results show that the Monocrystalline (Mono-Si) is the most affected technology with a daily soiling ratio (SR) reaching 28%, while CdTe is the less affected one with a daily SR of 23.6%. Regarding the soiling distribution, we found that both Isc and Pmax, can be used for the SR assessment in our field of study as they show a good agreement with the power loss (R2 above 98%). Finally, based on the result, a bi-weekly cleaning scenario during the dry period of the year, is the optimal schedule for our site where the energy loss -in comparison to the daily cleaning scenario-is around 3.53%, 3.41%, and 2.27% for the Mono-Si, m-Si and CdTe, respectively. The results of this study may be of high importance for operators and operation and maintenance (O&M) crews working on the PV plants -with similar climate conditions as our field of study-to adjust their cleaning schedules for a better profitability of the power plant and a low water consumption.

Optimal Capacity Configuration of Energy Storage in PV Plants Considering Multi-Stakeholders

With the integration of large-scale renewable energy generation, some new problems and challenges are brought for the operation and planning of power systems with the aim of mitigating the adverse effects of integrating photovoltaic plants into the grid and safeguarding the interests of diverse stakeholders. In this paper, a methodology for allotting capacity is introduced, which takes into account the active involvement of multiple stakeholders in the energy storage system. The objective model for maximizing the financial proceeds of the PV plant, the system for the storage of energy, and a power grid company is studied. Then, in order to maximize the benefit of three stakeholders, a modified particle swarm optimization algorithm is devised, employing the prevailing typical allocation strategy. Finally, a case study is provided based on the modified IEEE 14-bus and the actual power grid from South Xinjiang, China. The simulation results and findings of the case study conclusively illustrate that the proposed methodology adeptly ensures the maximization of interests for the triad of stakeholders.

Long-term performance and degradation analysis of a 5 MW solar PV plant in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Renewable energy is being advocated as a new strategy in response to rising energy demand and global climate change. Solar photovoltaic technology is of great significance to climatic conditions due to the good solar intensity and availability to generate energy. In this paper, the 10-year operating performance of a 5 MW solar PV plant installed in tropical climate of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands was analysed. In 2015, the PV plant achieved its highest electricity production of 7216 MWh, while its lowest, 4757 MWh, was observed in 2022.The maximum performance ratio was recorded as 84.28 % in 2016 due to lower operating cell temperature whereas the maximum CUF as 16.17 % was recorded in 2015. The highest module, inverter and system efficiency for the ten year was observed 12.03 %, 97.64 % and 11.75 % respectively in year 2016. In 2014, the highest values for reference yield, array yield, and final yield were recorded as 4.92, 4.08, and 3.98 kWh/kW/day, respectively. Higher capture losses were observed in the plant over the year which varies upto 1.65 h/d. The plant exhibited a degradation rate of 1.99 % per annum, determined by employing an initial PR of 80.03 %, which declined to 64.11 % by 2022. Degradation analysis of the present system was also performed using visual inspection technique. Mostly found defects in plant was corrosion, delamination of encapsulant material, browning of cell material, burn mark on the back of module, milky patterns, cracks in top facing glass and solar cells. Since, the plant is located in the coastal area, it was seen that the plant is facing a severe issue of algae growth. Some PV modules were covered by more than 90 % algae which significantly contribute in capture losses.

Integration of Floating Photovoltaic Panels with an Italian Hydroelectric Power Plant

The potential of applying a floating PV (FPV) system in an Italian context (namely, Cecita dam and Mucone hydroelectric power plants) is studied. The additional PV energy production, as well as the effect of non-evaporated water on the productivity of the hydropower plant, is analyzed by varying the basin surface coverage. The simulations highlight that the amount of additional hydroelectricity is quite small if compared to the non-FPV system, reaching about 3.56% for 25% basin surface coverage. However, the annual PV energy production is noticeable even at low coverage values. The expected gain in electricity production in the case of 25% basin surface coverage with the FPV plant rises to 391% of that of the actual hydropower plant. This gain becomes even larger if a vertical axis tracking system is installed and the increase is about 436%. The economic analysis confirms that the production costs (USD/kWh) of FPV systems are comparable to those of land-based PV (LBPV) plants, becoming smaller in the case that a tracking system is installed. In particular, the best solution is the one with 15% coverage of the lake. In this case, the levelized cost of electricity for the LBPVs is 0.030 USD/kWh and for the FVPs, with and without tracking, it is equal to 0.032 and 0.029 USD/kWh, respectively.

Quantifying the Climate Co-Benefits of Hybrid Renewable Power Generation in Indonesia: A Multi-Regional and Technological Assessment

Quantifying the co-benefits of renewable energy investments can aid policymakers in identifying technologies capable of generating significant social, economic, and environmental benefits to effectively offset mitigation costs. Although there has been a growing body of work evaluating co-benefits, few studies have compared the potential co-benefits of several technologies across different regions in key countries. This study fills this gap by formulating a new modeling structure to assess the environmental–health–economic co-benefits of hybrid renewable energy systems (HRESs) in different parts of Indonesia. The proposed model is unique in that it incorporates various techno-economic activities to assess air quality, health, and economic benefits and then presents results as part of a cost–benefit analysis. From the intervention scenario, the modeling results show that installing 0.5 GW grid-connected solar PV, 100 MW of wind turbines, and a 100 MW biomass generator to cover a total of 1.64 million residential load units in the Bali province can avoid GHGs, PM2.5, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and provide health savings of 1.73 Mt/y, 289.02 t/y, 1648, and 6.16 million USD/y, respectively. In addition, it shows that the payback period is enhanced by one year, while the net present value is increased by 28%. In Jakarta, a 3 GW solar PV plant and a 100 MW biomass generator that supply 5.8 million residential load units can deliver 32,490 averted DALYs and 652.81 million USD/y of health care savings. Nationally, the contribution of renewable energy to the electricity supply mix could grow from the 2020 baseline of 18.85% to 26.93%, reducing dependence on oil and coal contribution by 5.32%.

Effect of PV Plant on Frequency Stability in IEEE12 Bus System for Different Penetration Levels and Depth of Frequency Support

The utilization of renewable energy sources, particularly large-scale photovoltaic plants (PVPs), has been increasing in power systems. However, the high penetration of PVPs in power systems has implications for the system's moment of inertia and frequency response. Therefore, it is crucial to thoroughly investigate the impact of PVPs on system frequency. This study focuses on investigating the effects of a large-scale PVP at various penetration levels on frequency and the depth of frequency support. The study proposes a strategy aimed at maximizing power generation from PVPs while also providing support to system frequency. To assess the effects of PVPs, the study examines events such as load outages, generator outages, load changes, and three-phase short circuits. Additionally, the relationship between voltage and frequency during these events is considered, with the load represented by an impedance model. By studying the depth of frequency support alongside different penetration levels, the study provides a detailed understanding of the impact of PVPs on frequency. The study aims to determine the threshold at which the penetration level of PVPs becomes significant in terms of frequency support. This analysis sheds light on the point at which the presence of PVPs begins to exert a notable influence on frequency stability and support within the power system. Overall, the study contributes to the integration of PVPs in power systems by providing insights into their impact on frequency dynamics and proposing strategies to enhance power generation and frequency support simultaneously.

An adaptive power smoothing approach based on artificial potential field for PV plant with hybrid energy storage system

The increasing quantity of PV installation has brought great challenges to the grid owing to power fluctuations. Hybrid energy storage systems have been an effective solution to smooth out PV output power variations. In order to reduce the required capacity and extend the lifetime of the hybrid energy storage system, a two-stage self-adaptive smoothing approach based on the artificial potential field is proposed to decompose and allocate power among the grid, battery, and supercapacitor dynamically. In the ramp rate control stage, an unsymmetric artificial potential field method is used to regulate the cutoff frequency of a low-pass filter, so as to limit the PV power ramp rate within the prescribed range and allocate the power between the grid and the hybrid energy storage system. In the HESS power distribution stage, a symmetric artificial potential field is adopted to distribute power between the battery and supercapacitor by regulating the cutoff frequency of another low-pass filter. The effectiveness of the proposed strategy is validated through a case study based on real-world PV data in Denmark. The results show that the proposed method outperforms to reduce the over-smoothing effect and battery degradation, which can reduce battery loss by up to 17% to 49% compared to existing smoothing approaches.

Effects of Environmental and Climatic Conditions on PV Efficiency in Qatar

The sensitivity of various solar photovoltaic technologies towards dust, temperature and relative humidity is investigated for Qatar’s environment. Results obtained show that dust accumulation has the great effect on decreasing Amorphous and Mono-crystalline PV’s efficiency than the panel’s temperature augmentation or relative humidity. The study shows that Amorphous PVs are more robust against dust settlement than Mono-crystalline PVs and hence are more suitable for implementation in desert climates like Qatar. It was estimated that 100 days of dust accumulation over Mono-crystalline PV panels, caused the efficiency to decrease by 10%. This limitation makes solar PV an unreliable source of power for unattended or remote devices and thus strongly suggests the challenge of cleaning the panel’s surface regularly or injecting technical modifications. Also, the study assesses how best to operate solar PV plants during peak sunlight hours to optimize production and minimize the sun’s harsh effects.

A Kriging-Based Partial Shading Analysis in a Large Photovoltaic Field for Energy Forecast

In this paper the use of the kriging estimation method for the study of partial shading in photovoltaic fields is investigated. Different cases of shadowing spatial distribution on the PV field surface, due to different relative positions between the plant and some clouds, are studied. The adopted method gives a spatial interpolation of the shadowing so that its distribution over all the surface can be obtained on the basis of a limited number of experimental data. In all cases the kriging estimates are nearly the same as the observed data, also when a strongly reduced experimental observations are available. The accuracy of the estimates is also confirmed by Q-1 and double kriging cross validation schemes. The followed approach allows a cheaper and simpler characterization of the PV plant output power allowing energy forecast.

Solar Energy Prediction Based on Intelligent Predictive Controller Algorithm

The technological advancement in all countries leads to massive energy demand. The energy trading companies struggle daily to meet their customers’ power demands. For a good quality, disturbance-free, and reliable power supply, one must balance electricity generation and consumption at the grid level. There is a profound change in distribution networks due to the intervention of renewable energy generation and grid interactions. Renewable energy sources like solar and wind depend on environmental factors and are subject to unpredictable variations. Earlier, energy distribution companies faced a significant challenge in demand forecasting since it is often unpredictable. With the prediction of the ever-varying power from renewable sources, the power generation and distribution agencies are facing a challenge in supply-side predictions. Several forecasting techniques have evolved, and machine learning techniques like the model predictive controller are suitable for arduous tasks like predicting weather-dependent power generation in advance. This paper employs a Model Predictive Controller (MPC) to predict the solar array’s power. The proposed method also includes a system identification algorithm, which helps acquire, format, validate, and identify the pattern based on the raw data obtained from a PV system. Autocorrelation and cross-correlation value between input and predicted output 0.02 and 0.15. The model predictive controller helps to recognize the future response of the corresponding PV plant over a specific prediction horizon. The error variation of the predicted values from the actual values for the proposed system is 0.8. The performance analysis of the developed model is compared with the former existing techniques, and the role and aptness of the proposed system in smart grid digitization is also discussed.

Risk assessment and lightning protection for PV systems and solar power plants

Lightning strikes can affect photovoltaic generators and their exposed installation sites as well as the sensitive electronics of the inverter. Therefore, it is necessary, to estimate the risk by lightning strikes, and to take these results into account for the design. IEC (EN) 62305-2 states procedures and data for the calculation of the risk resulting from lightning strikes into structures and for the choice of lightning protection systems. Actually, the technical guidelines for installation suggest protecting with SPD’s (surge protective device) both the DC and AC sides of the PV plant. The aim of this paper is to estimate voltages due to lightning discharges and to determine the effective need of lightning protection measures on the basis of the risk analysis and the protection costs.

Behaviour of small scale dispersed PV generation

The spread over of the small scale PhotoVoltaic plants requires a central production forecast. The regional meteorological information is not suitable for individual production calculation. We investigated the behaviour of the PV plants in different regions. We have also been looking for the relation between daily irradiation and energy production. We start from a basic assumption then we visualize the appropriate series of data and we calculate the correlation or other factors. Finally we confirm or neglect the initial idea. The geographical extent has significant effect on the daily cumulated production curve. The co-running of the daily power peak in a region is really strict but it has no correlation with the daily irradiation. The daily irradiation is proportional with the daily electricity production. The individual production forecast is not really viable that is why aggregation is necessary. The area of the whole country must be handled by regions.

Technical and Economic analysis of a Regulatory Call for PV Plants with Energy Storage in French Islands

European incentive policies led to a faster development of renewable energy sources. This energy transition is bringing new challenges, in particular for grid stability. Photovoltaic energy combined with electrical storage system is one of the most promising technology to enable a massive insertion of green energy into the grid. The task of this paper is to study a call for tender launched by the French government in French insular regions, to develop PV plants equipped with electrical storage systems. The technical sizing will be carried on, using the software PVsyst. Then, the energy flows between the PV panels, the battery and the grid will be optimized thanks to an algorithm. The purpose is also to study the benefits and costs of such a system, and so different scenario will be considered, each one leading to a different economic interest. More broadly, this paper considers the role of batteries today, and how it should be rewarded or compensated for service delivery.

Solar belt supplies electricity for the World

The major part of the electricity production is generated on fossil base. The renewable generation emits far less CO2. In this paper we investigate a vision how all the electricity need could be supplied by solar PV plants Our technical vision is a solar belt surrounding the earth near the equator. If we calculate the power capacities a narrow stripe could produce all the electricity need for the whole World. At first sight we do not store the energy but try to produce it on the sunny side and transmit to the dark side ‘on-line’ the necessary amount. We plan for this long distance/high energy transmission UHVDC network. We made a bulk calculation about the availability of this approach and we find on-line PV supply of the World technologically feasible. If we don’t have a “green field investment” only with PV solution but we start from the existing situation and we build more PV and we create a large East-West transmission system, it can alleviate the present energy problems.

Capacity Credit of Solar PV Projects – Oman’s Main Interconnected System Case Study

Due to high growth in electricity demand, it is important to add more dispatchablegeneration capacity in power systems to maintain demand-supply balance in real time. In many power systems, fossil fuel-based units such as gas or coal power plants are used to maintain high-reliability standards during peak demand hours. Although intermittent renewable energy generation facilities such as solar PV systems are used as a fuel saver, they can offset part of the load during peak hours. Capacity credit measures the contribution of a power plant to reliably meet demand. Estimating capacity credit of solar PV systems is important to ensure the adequacy and security of electricity supply. In this article, the capacity credit of solar PV power plants in the Main Interconnected System (MIS) of Oman is modelled. Oman’s MIS considered in this study has 6,372 MW gas-based generation capacity, a negligible solar PV capacity, and 5,712 MW peak load. The results revealed that the capacity credit of solar PV plants is high at low solar PV penetration levels. However, it decreases drastically as solar PV capacity increases. For example, the first 500MW plant has a capacity credit of about 120 MW. When the cumulative installed solar PV capacity is 2000MW, the next 500MW plant has a capacity credit of only 26MW.