Rooftop Solar Panels Research Articles

Bayesian updating of solar panel fragility curves and implications of higher panel strength for solar generation resilience

Solar generation can become a major and global source of clean energy by 2050. Nevertheless, few studies have assessed its resilience to extreme events, and none have used empirical data to characterize the fragility of solar panels. This paper develops fragility functions for rooftop and ground-mounted solar panels calibrated with solar panel structural performance data in the Caribbean for Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017 and Hurricane Dorian in 2019. After estimating the hurricane wind fields, we follow a Bayesian approach to estimate fragility functions for rooftop and ground-mounted panels based on the observations supplemented with existing numerical studies on solar panel vulnerability. Next, we apply the developed fragility functions to assess failure rates due to hurricane hazards in Miami-Dade, Florida, highlighting that the panels perform below the code requirements, especially rooftop panels. We also illustrate that strength increases can improve the panels' structural performance effectively. However, strength increases by a factor of two still cannot meet the reliability stated in the code.

Power to regional households: consumer attitudes towards electricity-saving, the solar rebound and the determinants of rooftop solar adoption

ABSTRACT Solar energy is crucial to the transformation of the energy system, and it is important to promote ‘green’ energy technologies to achieve the 2015 UN Paris Agreement targets. This study takes a holistic view of consumers’ energy-related behaviour by identifying the factors driving the adoption of rooftop solar photovoltaic and by distinguishing the electricity conservation practices of solar and non-solar households. We reveal a nuanced understanding of the rebound effect from a behavioural perspective, which may help solar energy policy formulation and efficient decarbonization pathways in Australia and elsewhere. A face-to-face survey of 325 households in a regional city, principal component analysis and binary probit analysis were used to investigate the intention to install rooftop solar photovoltaic panels. The results show that home ownership, unwillingness to sacrifice personal comforts to save electricity, being pro-energy efficiency, and income are positively related to rooftop solar installation. In addition, different segments, such as the ‘energy-efficiency advocate’, the ‘digital tool lovers’ and the ‘behaviour change advocates’ were identified. Finally, recommendations for policy and practice are made to promote rooftop solar and more careful use of electricity in the residential sector.

Coordinated integration of distributed energy resources in unit commitment

Distributed energy resources, such as electric vehicles and roof-top solar panels have become increasingly popular and essential components of power distribution systems. However, their growth poses significant challenges to system operation, such as bidirectional power flow, intermittent power generation, increased peak demand, and unexpected frequency/voltage fluctuation. To tackle these challenges, we developed a vehicle-to-grid model, which incorporated dynamic electric vehicles usages, such as driving times, driving distance, and charging/discharging locations. The machine learning method of principal component analysis and XGBoost were used to develop the solar energy prediction model. We also developed a novel unit commitment model to coordinate and aggregate the distributed energy resources in power generation economic dispatch. Electric vehicle charging was used as elastic demand and electric vehicle discharging was used as power generation sources. The solar energy was considered as a negative load. Simulation results showed that uncontrolled electric vehicle charging and solar energy could negatively impact the power systems. For example, the load ramping rate was increased by 384%. Simulation results also showed that the proposed models could mitigate the negative impact and improve energy efficiency. For example, the peak demand, load ramping rate and average generation cost were reduced by 21%, 79%, and 27%.

Solar Power Panel Monitoring and Data Acquisition System

Abstract: As the world now is turning towards renewable energy sources and countries like Iceland have obtained 100% renewable energy status and India has also started to lean towards renewable energy, moreover rooftop solar panels are becoming a trend nowadays but In order to know how efficiently the solar photovoltaic system is working and for performance evaluation there should be some monitoring system. Therefore here we propose a system using a microcontroller and internet of things technology using sensors to monitor the parameters of the solar photovoltaic system remotely from anywhere using smart phones and computers using web server. Some solar photovoltaic systems are located in inaccessible locations and it is difficult to monitor it and the solar panels are not utilized to its full efficiency all day ,in order to achieve the solar panel must absorb maximum sunlight every instant , in order to achieve it here we propose a sun tracking technology to control the solar panel and rotate it so it absorbs maximum sunlight every instant .The system is based on a new cost effective technology using a microcontroller and internet of things technology monitors and controls the solar photovoltaic system remotely from anywhere around the world.

Passive and active peer effects in the spatial diffusion of residential solar panels: A case study of the Las Vegas Valley

This research analyzes the role of peer influences on the adoption of residential rooftop solar photovoltaic panels (PV) within the context of the Diffusion of Innovation Theory. PV literature indicates that adopters are influenced by word of mouth (WOM) information exchange with peers, i.e., active peer effects, while other studies suggest that living near households with visible rooftop PV installations influences adoption, i.e., passive peer effects. We bridge the gap in this literature by conducting a mixed methods analysis. We develop and administer a survey to Las Vegas Valley (LVV) residents to identify current and potential PV adopters' perceptions of peer-effects and consumer intention variables. We conduct a spatial analysis of Google's Project Sunroof data to identify LVV neighborhoods in the later stages of the PV diffusion process, i.e., those with the highest PV adoption rates. Key results show that current PV adopters living in early diffusion areas report significantly higher active and passive peer effects compared to adopters in later diffusion areas. Potential adopters in later diffusion areas report higher passive peer effects than those in early diffusion areas. Overall, because LVV has a low PV adoption rate (<3%), short term strategies aimed at increasing PV adoption should emphasize WOM active peer effects. We caution against long-term green marketing strategies focusing solely on peer-effects as the PV market matures.

Life cycle assessment for carbon emission impact analysis for the renovation of old residential areas

Urban residential buildings are the prime contributors to carbon emissions, whose reduction is significantly affected by old residential areas as essential components of urban renewal. In current studies on the potential for carbon reduction in residential localities, the measurement standard mostly used is the amount of carbon reduced during operations because of the energy-saving renovation of building monomers. This study conducted a life cycle assessment for the carbon emission impact analysis of the renovation of old residential areas, with a comprehensive consideration of carbon emissions at the materialization, demolition, and use stages of the renovation process. Five systems in these areas were evaluated: landscape greening, building monomers, water resources, solid waste, and infrastructure. An actual residential renovation case was used as a reference in comparing the life cycle carbon reduction effects of different technical measures. The results showed that carbon reduction effects are overestimated by 5.54% (from 29.59% to 35.13%) when embodied carbon is disregarded. Among the renovation measures, adding green spaces, recycling garbage, and replacing energy-saving lamps in public areas offer short carbon payback, whereas the addition of rooftop solar photovoltaic panels is the most efficient carbon-reduction measure. This study completes and expands the scope of accounting for residential renovation from spatial and temporal scales. It can also guide the low-carbon renovation of old residential areas to help cities save energy and reduce emissions.

Exploring Solar Energy Potential using Solar Radiation GIS Toolset - A Case of College of Natural Resources, Lobesa, Punakha

This study aimed to explore solar energy potential on a small landscape (campus of the College of Natural Resources) using topography of fine spatial resolution that can detect number of rooftops feasible for harnessing solar energy. Digital elevation model was derived by extracting elevation values from the Google Earth Pro which was then used as input for solar radiation calculation. The total radiation that the campus received was 2,100 kWh over 259 days and the result was validated using power access viewer and global solar atlas databases. The monthly average radiation indicated that October, November, December and January are the radiation peaking months at the college campus. Twenty two rooftops were identified to receive more than or equal to 3.08 kWh/m2/day, while the remaining rooftops receiving less than or equal to 3.08 kWh/m2/day. The college has potential of supplementing power shortage during lean hydro season using the rooftop solar panels.

Energy saving potential of photovoltaic windows: Impact of shading, geography and climate

Engineering the thermal and optical properties of windows is a key to reducing building energy demand, which constitutes a major portion of worldwide electricity consumption. Depositing thin-film photovoltaic coating that simultaneously generates power and allows visible light can be a viable route towards nearly zero energy building (nZEB). Such windows with Semi-Transparent Photovoltaics (STPV) have unique physical properties that require comprehensive modeling to properly estimate the performance. In this paper, we adopt an integrated approach to unify device simulation – yielding electrical, optical and thermal parameters – with building energy simulation using EnergyPlus and a Matlab based power generation platform. The power generation code contains models for shadow from nearby buildings, geography and climate dependent solar insolation and ambient temperature variation to predict efficiency accurately. We also develop a thermal model to find the U-value of a glass coated with STPV. We find that such coating dramatically improves insulation by reflecting infra-red radiation. Our results show that – contrary to roof-top solar panels – STPV modules, when put on all four vertical surfaces, produces significant output in the presence of both shadow and cloud. The net energy footprint of a building with a perovskite based STPV is found to be in the range of 45–80 KWh/m2-yr, well below the source energy use intensity goals set by different countries.

A Framework for the Comparison of Agent-based Models.

We develop a methodology for comparing agent-based models that are developed for the same domain, but may differ in the data sets (e.g., geographical regions) to which they are applied, and in the structure of the model. Our approach is to learn a response surface in the common parameter space of the models and compare the regions corresponding to qualitatively different behaviors in the models. As an example, we develop an active learning algorithm to learn phase shift boundaries in contagion processes in order to compare two agent-based models of rooftop solar panel adoption developed for different regions. We present results for 2D and 3D subspaces of the parameter space, though the approach scales to higher dimensions as well.

Pelatihan Instalasi Sistim Listrik Tenaga Surya kepada Santri Dayah Mini Banda Aceh

Utilization of solar energy as a generator of electrical energy is growing. One of technology for the use of solar energy is to use solar panels to generate electricity. Solar panels can be installed on the roof of the house to meet electricity on a household scale. The current challenge is the lack of trained personnel who have the competence to install solar panels on the roof of the house. So it is considered it is important to educate skilled workers through solar power installation training. For this purpose, training activities for solar electricity installation are carried out for Dayah Mini Banda Aceh students through an independent community service program. This training aims to train workers to gain Panel installation competence Sun on the Roof of the House. Solar Panel Installation Practice Method is done by simulating installation of equipment ranging from solar panels, inverters, charge controllers and charging battery. The results to be achieved with the practice of installing solar panels so that students have Skills in installing rooftop solar panels.

Social life-cycle assessment (S-LCA) of residential rooftop solar panels using challenge-derived framework

BackgroundSocial life-cycle assessment (S-LCA) provides a framework to evaluate the social impacts of decisions made during the design phases of a product. Rooftop solar panels are considered an environmentally friendly renewable energy technology due to their ability to generate electricity without producing greenhouse gases while generating electricity. This study presents the application of a challenge-derived S-LCA framework to assess the social impacts of rooftop solar panels in the southeast region of the United States (U.S.) during the use and end-of-life phases.MethodsThe challenge-derived S-LCA framework was developed based on a set of challenges to performing social assessments. The challenges were identified through a systematic mapping process and verified using expert feedback. Additional feedback is gathered through users from mechanical engineering capstone design students. The case study application shown in this paper aims to identify the potential social impacts at a pre-implementation stage of the rooftop solar panel in residential applications. The framework follows the ISO 14040 LCA structure, and the analysis was performed based on impact indicators (Type-I framework) and performance reference points (PRP).ResultsThe framework implements existing social impact assessment methodologies, and guides each of the assessment stages based on the type of analysis performed. The results highlight the workers as the stakeholder group with the highest social impacts. The results also highlight the need for regulation to make rooftop solar panels accessible to low-income community members.ConclusionsAn S-LCA framework to assess the social impacts of product systems and technologies is implemented to evaluate the potential social impacts of residential rooftop solar panels. The framework presented applies to product systems and technologies at a pre- or post-implementation state, and it aims to guide novice and expert users alike. Nonetheless, further research is still needed to improve the methodology presented, and additional case studies should be performed to test the applicability of the framework across a broad set of fields.

Collapsing Power Grid Reliability and Economics

Electric power generation and transmission and distribution (T&#x0026;D) providers require a new, clean, reliable, safe and economical power generation alternative. They face escalating atmospheric CO2 and inadequate low, or zero CO2 power generation alternatives. The existing alternatives, chiefly windmills and roof-top solar panels, are pseudo-random intermittent, requiring expensive back-up bulk power and storage above emergency spinning reserve levels, and other expensive alternatives to correct their unpredictability. The increasing adoption of such Monte Carlo power sources erodes the reliability and security of our grids. Space Solar Power (SSP), or Solar Power Satellites (SPS), must be made available as a power generation and transmission alternative to meet this energy and climate challenge. Microwave power transmission can bring that energy safely and reliably from GeoSynchronous Orbit to rectennas on contracting grids. The benefits SSP offers to electric power companies and their customers are best demonstrated by previous Congressionally chartered public-private corporations, most notably Hoover Dam&#x2019;s Six Company contract, a similarly daunting baseload power generation project.

Wind loads on roof-mounted isolated solar panels of tall buildings through wind tunnel testing

A series of pressure tests were conducted to systematically investigate the wind loads on isolated solar panels mounted on the rooftops of tall buildings. The effects of panel location, tilt angle (β = 15°, 30°, and 45°), and building height (H = 24, 48, 72, and 96 m) were examined. Peak loads from taps were found two times as large as that from modules and panels. An increase in H induced a decrease in the largest mean and negative peak net panel force coefficients, which is attributed to the enhanced two-dimensionality of flows for buildings with lower heights. Specifically, the largest most critical negative peak net panel force coefficients at H = 24 m were approximately 20% larger than those at H = 96 m. Attention should be paid to wind loads on roof-mounted solar panels attached to buildings with lower heights. Besides, buildings with lower heights tend to cause more significant fluctuations of wind pressure on solar panels. Moreover, rooftop solar panels on buildings with lower heights are likely to have positive mean panel force coefficients due to the flow reattachment over roofs.

SIMULASI PERBANDINGAN PERUBAHAN TILT TERHADAP ENERGI ARRAY PADA 34 UNIT PLTS ROOFTOP 100 KWP DI INDONESIA

One of the activities to developing the use of rooftop solar panels in Indonesia in accordance with the mandate of RUEN is the mandatory use of solar cells at a minimum of 30% of the roof area for all government buildings. In this regard, good planning related to engineering is needed, one of which is the orientation and tilt aspects used. In International, to assist countries in achieving sustainable development goals for new and renewable energy, the World Bank Group partnered with Solargis, releasing a web-based application called Global Solar Atlas (GSA) with optimum tilt and energy arrays as research references. From this study, it was found that tilt changes greatly affect the resulting array energy, an average change of 10 from 00-160 can result in changes in addition of up to 578 kWh and reduction of up to 483 kWh. The largest array energy potential value is located in the province of Bali at 16.5872 kWh and the smallest in West Kalimantan at 12.1924 kWh., while compared to the modeling in the GSA application, the largest array energy value is in NTT with a value of 16.5673 kWh and the smallest is in East Kalimantan with rated 12.1843 kWh. The tilt value in Indonesia from 34 simulated locations is at 00-130 and is still in the tilt range in Indonesia according to the GSA application, which is 00-140.

Determining Factors Affecting Customer Intention to Use Rooftop Solar Photovoltaics in Indonesia

Many developing countries on the equator, including Indonesia, have the potential for renewable and sustainable resources, such as solar energy. However, despite the enormous potential, the adoption level remains low. Previously, several studies discussed the potential, the feasibility, and the supporting policy of this technology, but none have been discussed from the customers’ perspective on a national scale. Therefore, this study attempts to determine the factors affecting the customers’ intention to use solar photovoltaics in Indonesia to develop a sustainable circular supply chain for renewable energy. This investigation was conducted based on integrating the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 (UTAUT2) and the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Furthermore, an online questionnaire was successfully distributed with a total of 208 participants. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to derive the causal relationships of the proposed hypotheses. The results indicated that price value (PV) has a positive relationship and a significant influence on attitude toward use (ATU), which leads to the behavioral intention (BI) to make the construct the most affecting factor. This is the first comprehensive study to analyze the intention to use rooftop solar panels based on the UTAUT2 and TPB framework. The successful approach to support photovoltaic use will bring less waste and strengthen the circular supply chain to support sustainable development.

Evaluating the Correlation between Thermal Signatures of UAV Video Stream versus Photomosaic for Urban Rooftop Solar Panels

The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) autopilot flight to survey urban rooftop solar panels needs a certain flight altitude at a level that can avoid obstacles such as high-rise buildings, street trees, telegraph poles, etc. For this reason, the autopilot-based thermal imaging has severe data redundancy—namely, that non-solar panel area occupies more than 99% of ground target, causing a serious lack of the thermal markers on solar panels. This study aims to explore the correlations between the thermal signatures of urban rooftop solar panels obtained from a UAV video stream and autopilot-based photomosaic. The thermal signatures of video imaging are strongly correlated (0.89–0.99) to those of autopilot-based photomosaics. Furthermore, the differences in the thermal signatures of solar panels between the video and photomosaic are aligned in the range of noise equivalent differential temperature with a 95% confidence level. The results of this study could serve as a valuable reference for employing video stream-based thermal imaging to urban rooftop solar panels.

Quantification of existing rooftop PV hourly generation capacity and validation against measurement data

The spatio-temporal patterns of the existing rooftop photovoltaic (PV) production can provide valuable insights for the design of effective strategies for PV integration at large scale. In this work, we quantify the hourly production of existing rooftop PV installations by combining two large-scale methods, for detecting rooftop solar panels and for estimating their hourly PV generation, which are both applicable at the Swiss national scale. A validation against measured data of PV installations from 16 roofs in the Swiss Canton of Aargau shows that the existing PV area is detected accurately, while the hourly profiles overestimate the PV production, with higher errors in winter than in summer. These errors result in a mean overestimation of the annual PV production by 16%, assuming a triangular panel placement at low tilt (15°) on flat roofs.

Variations in direct greenhouse gas emissions across neighbourhoods: A case of Edmonton in Canada

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions vary among cities mainly because of variations in primary energy source, climate, and population densities. Neighbourhood characteristics such as area, configuration, land use, and road network could have further impact on these emissions variations. This study explores whether the neighbourhood types and their elements such as building typology, location, population density and travel behavior have any impact on direct GHG emissions, using the City of Edmonton in Canada as a case. A bottom-up approach considering scopes 1 and 2 GHG emissions helped us to calculate emissions from twelve selected neighbourhoods in the city. Our results indicate significant differences in total and per capita GHG emissions across the neighbourhoods primarily based on the floor area per person, building types, and the use of personal transportation. We notice a strong positive relationship between per capita GHG emissions from residential buildings and floor area per person, and the proportion of single-detached dwellings in a neighbourhood. Furthermore, per capita GHG emissions from personal transportation show a strong positive relationship with distance to downtown and nearest transit stations, and the percentage use of personal vehicles to commute. The highest impacts of building typology and transportation on GHG emissions are exhibited in neighbourhoods that are either close to the city core or at the fringe. These results identify aspects of neighbourhood configuration, including building types, dwelling size, use of green energy sources such as rooftop solar panels, and accessibility of a public transit station, which urban planners should consider in their plans for developing new neighbourhoods or retrofitting existing ones with low carbon intensity.

PERANCANGAN PLTS ATAP DI GEDUNG GRAHA SEWAKA DHARMA

The utilization of renewable energy can be a solution to support the supply of electricalenergy, one of which is the use of solar energy with rooftop solar panels. In this study, the roofof the Graha Sewaka Dharma Building was used as a location for the design of rooftop solarpower plants to be able to help with electrical energy needs and support government programsin developing the use of solar energy. The total roof area of Graha Sewaka Dharma Building is1,616.37 m2. This design uses a battery-free On-grid PLTS system using a Solaria PowerXT-400R-PM solar module with a capacity of 400 Wp and a Ginlong Solis S5-GC36K-LV inverterwith a capacity of 36 kW. This design will calculate the capacity of solar modules that can beinstalled and the electrical energy produced with the limitation of the roof area and load profile inthe Graha Sewaka Dharma Building. Based on the results of the study, the capacity of therooftop PLTS installed in the Graha Sewaka Dharma Building is 188.8 kWp with a total of 472solar module units and 6 inverter units. The energy output produced per year (energy yield) is306,2 MWh/year. The investment feasibility study using the methods Net Present Value,Profitability Index, and Discounted Payback Period shows that this design investment isfeasible. Further research is recommended to study the impact of reducing carbon emissions onthe use of the PV grid.

Rooftop solar in the United States: Exploring trust, utility perceptions, and adoption among California homeowners

The transition to a more sustainable grid is likely to involve residential customers who make decisions about whether or not to install solar panels on their property. It will require that utilities engage customers in order to effectively manage the demand and supply of electricity. This means that relationships between customers and utilities are key to the future electric grid. Although industry consultants are increasingly drawing attention to the importance of customer trust in their utility, little research examines the issue. Using an exploratory sequential mixed methods design, we draw on semi-structured interviews conducted with 61 California residents and analyzed with line-by-line coding to identify the main themes related to people’s perceptions of their utility company and their interest in solar energy. The interview results helped to inform the development of a survey conducted with California homeowners (N = 3402) and analyzed using a series of logistic regressions to quantitively assess the role of distrust. The findings from the two sets of data are complementary. Together they show that people who distrust their utility are more likely to be interested in and to have rooftop solar panels. Our findings have implications for the successful transition to a more sustainable grid.