Solar Panel Array Research Articles

The Economics of Residential Solar Panels: A Comparison of Energy Charges for Different Load Profiles, Rate Plans, and Panel Orientations

This paper examines the effect of different residential electrical load profiles (electrical energy consumption patterns within a day) on energy charges for customers with solar panels under different Southern California Edison time-of-use (TOU) rate plans. We identify the TOU plan which would be the most cost effective for solar customers with each load profile. The impact of the orientation of the solar panel array (whether it faces south or west or east) and shading patterns on electricity charges are examined. We also determine the ideal usage offset (the percentage of electricity consumption provided by the solar array) for the various scenarios presented in this paper. We perform these analyses using actual data for the average sized residential customer of Southern California Edison. While the data we examine are based on solar panel production estimates for southern California, the issues we address, and the methods we use, are applicable to virtually any locality. And our analysis reveals how myriad factors impact the economics of residential solar panel systems regardless of location.

Compact and Planar End-Fire Antenna for PicoSat and CubeSat Platforms to Support Deployable Systems

A miniaturized planar Yagi-Uda antenna for integration with PicoSats or other SmallSat missions is proposed. Miniaturization techniques, such as meandering and 1-D artificial dielectric concepts to reduce the guided wavelength, are employed to overcome space constraints imposed by the SmallSat footprint while still maintaining good performance for the FR-4 antenna. Simulations and measurements have been carried out on the Unicorn-2 PicoSat chassis from Alba Orbital and are in good agreement. Also, antenna dimensions have been reduced between 15% and 66% when compared to a more conventional planar Yagi-Uda antenna working at the same frequency. This compactness allows for simple integration with the deployable solar panel array of the Unicorn-2 PicoSat spacecraft. Full end-fire radiation is achieved and peak gain values are about 5 dBi for the antenna when fully integrated on the satellite chassis, offering an attractive solution for downlink connectivity. This compact antenna design can also be used within an array for beam steering or integrated within the solar cell modules of other PicoSats, CubeSats and SmallSats. Applications include Earth observation, remote sensing, as well as SmallSat to ground station communications. The planar Yagi-Uda antenna may also be useful wherever end-fire radiation is required from a compact antenna structure.

Estimation of the CubeSat's Available Energy for Free-Orientation Scenario

The power budget of a CubeSat is difficult to estimate when its orientation while in orbit is unknown. If the attitude control system is absent, when there was a short-term system failure or it completely failed, the satellite usually begins to rotate; in this case, the axis of its own rotation can be any. The amount of available electrical energy in free-orientation mode determines how quickly it can restore its functionality and whether it can at all. Thus, the available energy can be obtained using a statistical estimate. This article provides power budget estimates in free-orientation mode for popular CubeSat designs. To estimate the energy, one needs to substitute the parameters of the solar cells used (at the maximum power point), as well as the fill factor of the solar array panels.

Wind load on the solar panel array of a floating photovoltaic system under extreme hurricane conditions

The installation of floating photovoltaic systems has been gradually increasing to meet the demand for clean and eco-friendly power generation. However, hurricanes subject the solar panels to harsh conditions with large drag and lift forces. Balancing the wind loads and buoyancy force is important to prevent floating structures from sinking or overturning. In this study, numerical simulations were performed to predict the wind loads on solar panels at various turbulence intensities (0.1–0.3) and wind speeds (35–75 m/s). The first row of solar panels showed the highest drag and lift coefficients at different turbulence intensities. The drag and lift coefficients of the solar panel array gradually decreased along the wind direction because of the sheltering effect of the first row of solar panels. Furthermore, the drag and lift forces on the solar panels increased with the turbulent kinetic energy, especially for the first row of solar panels. The effect of the wind angle of attack was also analyzed, and the in-line wind direction cases (0° and 180°) showed higher drag and lift coefficients than the other cases. The drag and lift coefficients showed similar values regardless of the wind speed because of the turbulent flow condition. Correlations were derived to predict the drag and lift forces on solar panels at various wind speeds, which can be used as guidelines for designing the structure of a floating photovoltaic system and its solar panels.

Renewable Energy: Sources, Integration and Application: Review Article

Renewable technologies are technically viable and economically attractive; traditional energy technology receives many investment dollars. This study examines the integration of renewable energy sources using functions that associate emissions with power generation; traditional producing units can represent these emissions. The environment friendly design has become a significant concern in the first decade of the 21st century. As a result of climate change and a limited supply of traditional energy sources (fossil fuel), the world needs to take renewable energy seriously. Renewable sources of energy are derived from the energy flow that occurs naturally in a continual manner. Many people define renewability as the ability to regenerate at a rate equal to or faster than a given energy source's depletion rate. Currently, fossil fuels are used to meet most energy needs, which should be replaced in the future by cleaner energy sources, such as renewables or nuclear energy. Building integration systems aim to replace a building element with a solar panel array to boost the RES system's viability. Renewable energy sources can be used to lessen the use of fossil fuels when certain criteria are satisfied. The use of renewable energy sources in buildings has well-understood environmental and economic benefits in this study. By relying on sustainable sources of energy, we can save as much energy as feasible.

An IoT-based approach for optimal relative positioning of solar panel arrays during backtracking

There are several studies in the literature and common solutions in practice about solar tracking systems (STSs) and their effective usage in solar power plants. However, they all mainly lack of a serious consideration to eliminate the undesirable row-to-row shading effect of nearby solar panels in instant positioning of a solar panel. The proposed approach presented here smoothly tackles this problem through use of a developed IoT-based STS solution deployed in solar panels in order to increase solar energy harvesting efficiency. A special IoT-STS component designed and implemented with hardware and software, developed for this purpose, effectively transfers the relative panel position information to the other panel IoT-STSs with the help of wireless and internet communication features in real-time. Depending on the array geometry and the steepness of the cross-axis grade, using the proposed backtracking strategy can improve the annual yield up to 5%.

Energy-aware trajectory planning for planetary rovers

Planetary rovers are becoming indispensable for exploration activities and science missions. The rover used in such mission is often limited in its operation time owing to power and computational resources of the rover. In this paper, a trajectory planning method for a planetary rover is proposed that considers vehicle dynamics, and energy management of the rover. The vehicle dynamics is approximated from a dynamic simulation of the rover, which can estimate the power consumption in accordance with terrain traversability of the rover. The power generation of the solar array panel mounted on the rover is also taken into account. The simulation study confirmed the usefulness of the proposed method, especially in scenarios where slopes could be observed, and one result indicated that the energy margin could be improved by 4.1 kJ, 13.9 at maximum.

Design and simulation of Dynamic Voltage Restorer (DVR) supported by solar panels

This work presents the design and simulation of a Dynamic Voltage Restorer (DVR) to mitigate power quality problems such as voltage sags and swells at sensitive loads to these types of disturbances, but with a compensation topology using one the most popular of the renewable energies, currently employed, which is photovoltaic solar energy. The DVR must operate with a control loop, monitoring the voltage at the load side and generating the voltage for compensation during the disturbances. The energy is obtained, from an array of solar panels for the injection of active power. The control algorithm discussed in this article is based on the Clark and Park transformations to generate the required signals for voltage compensation, these mathematical techniques allow fixing the variables and hence simplicity for the controller design. The results of the simulation in MATLAB/Simulink are used to show the performance of the proposed topology with symmetrical voltage sags in the distribution system.

Controlled shape-morphing metallic components for deployable structures

Transformational advances in additive manufacturing combined with the unique functional behavior of shape memory alloys (SMAs) has propelled the field of 4D printing “smart” materials. In this study, we leverage multiple processing pathways with additive manufacturing to design and fabricate SMA components capable of precise, self-guided shape change that could actuate large-scale (up to 25 × 25 × 33 cm3) structures under external thermal stimuli. The dual benefits of minor alloy doping (<2 at%) and laser processing parameters (laser hatch spacing) were identified to be the most effective method to engineer SMA joints and hinges with locally tailored transformation temperatures over a 90 °C range. Custom-designed plywood-style NiTi hinges with self-regulating features enabled tight bend radii and compact packing sizes. Implementation of these novel SMAs hinges with large deployment structures, mimicking solar panel arrays, demonstrated a 75–90% reduction in cross-sectional area compared to the fully deployed structure. The fundamental understanding and demonstration of tailored and controlled complex shape-morphing kinematics, without the use of specialized and heavy external motors, lays the groundwork for future SMA-enabled deployable structures in remote environments.

On attached masses of panels oscillating in incompressible medium

The paper discusses small oscillations of a panel in an incompressible medium. Air can be considered an incompressible medium during modal tests of solar array panels for spacecraft deployed on the ground in a lab environment. A panel is represented as a two-sided boundary surface. Conditions are determined for applicability of the potential motion of the medium. Calculation of the attached mass is reduced to the solution of the Neumann boundary value problem. To solve the boundary value problem, the method of boundary elements is used in the piecewise constant approximation variant, which provides a solution of the hypersingular boundary integral equation. Numerical solutions are obtained for the three fundamental modes of rectangular panels. The obtained numerical values are refined using non-linear Shanks transformation. Dependence of attached mass on panel elongation and the amount of the gap between its fragments is studied. For any in-plane oscillation mode of a panel fragment, the attached mass is determined using the principle of linear superposition. An estimate is given of the effect of the distance from the panel to the wall on the attached mass value. Key words: oscillations, incompressible medium, air, attached mass, rectangular panels, boundary elements method.

ON ATTACHED MASSES OF PANELS OSCILLATING IN INCOMPRESSIBLE MEDIUM

The paper discusses small oscillations of a panel in an incompressible medium. Air can be considered an incompressible medium during modal tests of solar array panels for spacecraft deployed on the ground in a lab environment. A panel is represented as a two-sided boundary surface. Conditions are determined for applicability of the potential motion of the medium. Calculation of the attached mass is reduced to the solution of the Neumann boundary value problem. To solve the boundary value problem, the method of boundary elements is used in the piecewise constant approximation variant, which provides a solution of the hypersingular boundary integral equation. Numerical solutions are obtained for the three fundamental modes of rectangular panels. The obtained numerical values are refined using non-linear Shanks transformation. Dependence of attached mass on panel elongation and the amount of the gap between its fragments is studied. For any in-plane oscillation mode of a panel fragment, the attached mass is determined using the principle of linear superposition. An estimate is given of the effect of the distance from the panel to the wall on the attached mass value. Key words: oscillations, incompressible medium, air, attached mass, rectangular panels, boundary elements method.

Experimental Assessment of RANS Models for Wind Load Estimation over Solar-Panel Arrays

This paper reports a comparison between wind-tunnel measurements and numerical simulations to assess the capabilities of Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes models to estimate the wind load over solar-panel arrays. The free airstream impinging on solar-panel arrays creates a complex separated flow at large Reynolds number, which is severely challenging for the current Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes models. The Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes models compared in this article are k-ϵ, Shear-Stress Transport k-ω, transition and Reynolds Shear Model. Particle Image Velocimetry measurements are performed to investigate the mean flow-velocity and turbulent-kinetic-energy fields. Pressure taps are located in the surface of the solar panel model in order to obtain static pressure measurements. All the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes models predict accurate average velocity fields when compared with the experimental ones. One of the challenging factor is to predict correctly the thickness of the turbulent wake. In this aspect, Reynolds Shear provides the best results, reproducing the wake shrink observed on the 3rd panel in the experiment. On the other hand, some other features, most notably the blockage encountered by the flow below the panels, are not correctly reproduced by any of the models. The pressure distributions over the 1st panel obtained from the different Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes models show good agreement with the pressure measurements. However, for the rest of the panels Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes fidelity is severely challenged. Overall, the Reynolds Shear model provides the best pressure estimation in terms of pressure difference between the front and back sides of the panels.

Optimization designs of artificial facilities in deserts based on computational simulation

Sediment transport of sand particles by wind is one of the main processes leading to desertification in arid regions, which severely impairs the ability of mankind to produce and live by drifting sand into settlements. Optimization designs of artificial facilities have lately attracted extensive interest for human settlement systems in deserts because of their acceptable protection effect, convenience of implementation, and low material cost. However, the complexity of a settlement system poses challenges concerning finding suitable materials, artificial facilities, and optimization designs for sand deposition protection. In an effort to overcome these challenges, we propose a settlement system built with brick, solar panel, and building arrays to meet the basic needs of human settlements in arid regions while preventing wind-sand disasters. The wind flow and movement characteristics of sand particles in the brick, panel, and building arrays were calculated using computational fluid dynamics and discrete phase model. The performance of three types of arrays in wind-sand flow in terms of decreasing the wind velocity and sand-particle invasion distance was evaluated. The results show that the wind velocity near the surface and the sand invasion distance were significantly decreased in the space between the brick arrays through properly selected vertical size and interspaces, indicating that the brick arrays have an impressive sand fixing and blocking performance; their effective protection distance was 3–4 m. The building arrays increased the near-surface wind velocity among buildings, resulting in less deposition of sand particles. The solar panel arrays were similar to the building arrays in most cases, but the deposition of sand particles on solar panels exerted a negative effect on energy utilization efficiency. Therefore, taking the optimal configuration of the settlement system into consideration, this study concludes that (1) brick arrays, which were proven effective in preventing sand particles, must be arranged in an upwind area; (2) solar panel arrays could accelerate the wind flow, so they are best to be arranged at the place where sand particles deposited easily; and (3) building arrays present a better arrangement in downwind areas.

Perovskite/Silicon Tandem Solar Cells: Effect of Luminescent Coupling and Bifaciality

The power conversion efficiency of the market‐dominating silicon photovoltaics approaches its theoretical limit. Bifacial solar operation with harvesting additional light impinging on the module back and the perovskite/silicon tandem device architecture are among the most promising approaches for further increasing the energy yield from a limited area. Herein, the energy output of perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells in monofacial and bifacial operation is calculated, for the first time considering luminescent coupling (LC) between two sub‐cells. For energy yield calculations, idealized solar cells are studied at both standard testing as well as realistic weather conditions in combination with a detailed illumination model for periodic solar panel arrays. Typical experimental photoluminescent quantum yield values reveal that more than 50% of excess electron–hole pairs in the perovskite top cell can be utilized by the silicon bottom cell by means of LC. As a result, LC strongly relaxes the constraints on the top‐cell bandgap in monolithic tandem devices. In combination with bifacial operation, the optimum perovskite bandgap shifts from 1.71 eV to the range 1.60–1.65 eV, where already high‐quality perovskite materials exist. The results are very important for developing optimal perovskite materials for tandem solar cells.

Development of a solar energy meter for an experimental array

The relevance of the presented development is due to the need to create a device to read and process information from an experimental array of solar panels. The purpose of the array is to obtain reliable data for the verification of models for estimating photovoltaic power potential indicators used in justifying the feasibility of the adoption of solar power plants in the eastern regions of Russia. We present a description of the main and auxiliary equipment of the experimental array. The array’s solar panels are arranged in different ways so as to determine the most efficient tilt angle and justify the need for building a sun-tracking system. The proprietary device based on the Arduino microcontroller was designed to read and write the value of instantaneous power of solar panels. The sensor that will monitor the amperage is ACS712, which is connected to the gap of the power circuit. The study provides a diagram of the current meter and describe its operation. We outline the main stages of subsequent data processing.

The Economics of Battery Storage for Residential Solar Customers in Southern California

Battery storage coupled with solar panels became a consideration after the original net metering program in California (NEM 1.0) ended and gave way to the current net metering program (NEM 2.0). Under NEM 2.0, battery storage gives customers under time-of-use (TOU) rate plans the ability to store the excess electrical energy generated by their panels during sunlight hours (when electricity usage and resale rates are low) and then use that energy in the evening when rates are significantly higher. This reduces the amount of expensive electricity that the customer would have to purchase from the grid. It is widely expected that the current net metering program in California will be replaced by a more restrictive and much less financially attractive program when NEM 3.0 goes into effect in early 2022. The impending introduction of NEM 3.0 has accelerated the rate at which homeowners are installing solar panel arrays and battery storage. In this paper we examine the economics of installing battery storage for residential customers and examine whether battery storage makes financial sense. We use public data to model the electricity bills for an average sized residential customer in southern California and examine how much money this customer can save using battery storage under the current rate plans.

Efficiency Improvement in polycrystalline solar panel using thermal control water spraying cooling

Abstract The increasing demand for electricity generated from main grids has necessitated the use of multiple microgrids, which serve as subsystems of the utility power. More recently, solar farms are being utilized for electricity generation, since solar irradiation is a green and sustainable renewable energy source. This energy source has witnessed high global growth figures, as more countries explore this alternative power source in the fourth industrial revolution. Solar panels are exposed to high temperatures due to the heat absorbed from the sun and this heat negatively impact its thermal control that lags its power generation. The excessive heat absorbed from the sun limits energy generated by the solar cells. Colling of solar panels is essential, especially on concentrated Photovoltaic (PV) systems. The paper focuses on an optimization option of an automated water spraying method that has effectively addressed a major gap experienced by the solar panel under hot weather conditions. The Introduction of a microcontroller-based thermal control water spraying system using an Arduino board was found to improve the efficiency of the solar cells. In the study, a solar collector cooling algorithm was designed and developed using a thermal control feedback system, which increased the efficiency of the solar panel array by 16.65%.

Photovoltaic solar power for a wastewater electrocoagulation prototype

A photovoltaic solar power supply is presented; it supplies energy to the electrodes of a wastewater treatment prototype by electrocoagulation. The source will be able to supply three voltages levels 10, 20, and 30 volts, with a current of 1000 mA. The system consists of an array of solar panels and Nickel Metal batteries. The amount of energy to be supplied by the solar panels is estimated, the level of storage in batteries is calculated and fed to the electrocoagulation system. The results of an experiment that operates independently of the power supply line and that works in rural areas are presented.

Surface modification of flat cable conductors: a path to withstand the aggressive space environment

A novel ion-beam surface treatment process with simultaneous surface renewal (IB/SSR) providing charge-dissipative properties to the treated surfaces was developed at ITL and successfully used for treatment of both sides of variously shaped and sized flat conductor cables (FCC) that are being used in various applications in aerospace, space and commercial programs. The results of surface resistivity (SR) measurements of the front side of FCC’s used as interconnects in solar panel arrays on satellites in Geostationary (GEO) orbit averaged around 10 MΩ/sq for short FCC units and around 8 MΩ/sq for long units. The SR values for back sides averaged around 18 MΩ/sq for both short and long FCCs. These values remained unchanged during ~ 1 month storage of the treated FCCs at lab conditions, and after a following 2-2.5 year’s storage. Extended long-term ground-based GEO environment simulation testing experiments (15 years space equivalent) that involved simultaneous exposure to all three GEO environmental factors, i.e. protons, electrons, and UV have been performed on two specially selected FCC sets. These sets included pristine and IB/SSR-treated FCCs, with both front and back FCC surfaces being exposed. It was demonstrated that the surface conductivity obtained on the insulating space polymer films is almost insensitive to space radiation during the 15 years in GEO. It was also shown that the long-term influence of GEO radiation on thermal optical characteristics of both FCCs sides does not significantly differ for pristine and ion-beam treated samples.

Construction and Automation of a Microcontrolled Solar Tracker

A solar tracker can be defined as an electromechanical system capable of following the apparent path of the Sun, in order to orient an array of solar panels and/or collectors directly to the solar rays, maximizing the collected energy. Accordingly, the present work describes the process of building and automating a micro-controlled solar tracker. Two mobile structures were built, one equipped with high-precision step motors and four luminosity sensors separated in quadrants by a cross structure, and the other equipped with DC motors and the 275 Wp solar panel, allowing the design and evaluation of the behavior of each structure separately. The control and automation system is centralized in an Arduino MEGA2560 microcontroller, which runs the tracking and positioning algorithms. The built prototype allows us to carry out studies of solar tracking strategies based on sensor and control systems applied to DC motors.