<p>The Sun is the main source of energy for the Earth. The conversion of solar to electric energy can be done through photovoltaic systems, whose performance depends on variables such as slope angle and azimuth orientation. The objective of this project was to evaluate the annual production of electric energy according to the function of the angles of inclination and azimuth orientation for a residential photovoltaic system connected to the grid in six municipalities of Paraíba. The analysis was performed via a System Advisor Model simulation for a system with a capacity of 1500 Wp. The reference system considered in this study was oriented to the geographic north and the slope was equal to the local latitude. The variation of the angle of inclination of the module was considered at intervals between 0 ° and 90 ° and the azimuthal angle ranged from 0 ° to 360 °. The annual production of energy in each system positioning was normalized by the yield of the reference system to obtain the losses for each orientation. Results indicated that concerning the energy produced by the system in the horizontal condition and regardless of the azimuthal angle, the losses did not exceed 1% in relation to the reference system. It was also observed that there is a wide range of slopes and orientations so that a photovoltaic arrangement can be applied with the minimum loss of electricity generation in relation to the reference system.</p>

<p>The present work has the objective of presenting a fixed and solar tracker photovoltaic systems comparative study, through the technical and financial viability evaluation in a public education institution located in the backlands of the state of Paraíba (Brazil). Through a System Advisor Model simulation software, we estimated the electrical energy production of the systems. Then, we performed a statistical analysis to evaluate the differences between the energy production of the proposed systems. Finally, financial indicators were used to assess which system had better financial viability. The results on performance have shown that the annual production of electric energy for photovoltaic systems with tracking is 32% higher than the fixed system. Statistical analysis proved by hypothesis testing that there is evidence that the tracking system produces more electric energy in relation to the fixed system. As for financial evaluation, the fixed system was more advantageous, since its financial indicators were better in all aspects. The research contributed to a better understanding of the differences between photovoltaic systems in terms of technical, financial and statistical aspects, which may help the decision making when choosing the installation of these systems in the region which is being studied.</p>