Design of tracking photovoltaic systems with a single vertical axis

Lorenzo, E.; Pérez, Miguel; Ezpeleta, A.; Acedo, J.

doi:10.1002/pip.442

Cited by 82 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…The performance of tracking PV systems and mutual shadows models have already been studied by other authors: [6] analyze the relation between shadows, area occupation, tracker and plant geometry, limitation of tracking angle and electrical configuration of the generator; [7] include a chapter devoted to geometrical considerations of tracking systems, the energy produced by each tracking technology and the analysis of mutual shadows; [8] examine the geometry of shadows in an azimuthal tracking system, applying the results to the design of a PV plant; [9] study the tracking and shading geometry for single vertical axis, single horizontal axis and two axes, and present simulation results regarding energy production and ground cover; [10] introduce an algorithm that allows the calculation of the optimal location of the PV trackers of a photovoltaic facility on a building of irregular shape, taking into account the shadows caused by the PV trackers and the obstacles that are on the building or surrounding it.…”

Section: Shadows In a Two-axis Tracking Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The area of the PV generator and the total land requirement are commonly related with the Ground Coverage Ratio (GCR) [9,8,12]. This ratio quantifies the percentage of land being effectively occupied by the system.…”

Section: The Ground Requirement Ratiomentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The inverters are hosted in a building approximately at the geometrical center of the plant (figure A. 8) This system is simulated with the meteorological conditions of a site located at Sevilla (latitude φ = 37.2°) (table Appendix A)…”

Section: Appendix a Data For The Examplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cost of energy and mutual shadows in a two-axis tracking PV system

David¹

2012

Renewable Energy

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The performance improvement obtained from the use of trackers in a PV system cannot be separated from the higher requirement of land due to the mutual shadows between generators. Thus, the optimal choice of distances between trackers is a compromise between productivity and land use to minimize the cost of the energy produced by the PV system during its lifetime. This paper develops a method for the estimation and optimization of the cost of energy function. It is built upon a set of equations to model the mutual shadows geometry and a procedure for the optimal choice of the wire cross-section. Several examples illustrate the use of the method with a particular PV system under different conditions of land and equipment costs.This method is implemented using free software available as supplementary material.Keywords: mutual shadows, two-axis tracking, productivity, grid-connected PV system, numerical optimization Nomenclature bAspect ratio (length-width) of a tracker. B e fEffective direct irradiation (irradiance) incident on a PV generator. C ECost of the energy produced by a PV system during its lifetime (€/kWh).C P Cost of the PV system including maintenance costs (€). D e fEffective diffuse irradiation (irradiance) incident on a PV generator.Circumsolar fraction of the effective diffuse irradiance.Isotropic fraction of the effective diffuse irradiance. E ACEnergy produced by a PV system during its lifetime (kWh).γ s Altitude sun angle.

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Section: Shadows In a Two-axis Tracking Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Ground Requirement Ratiomentioning

confidence: 99%

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Cost of energy and mutual shadows in a two-axis tracking PV system

David¹

2012

Renewable Energy

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“…Although not essential it can boost the collected energy by 10-100% in different periods of time and geographical locations [7]. Another study reports that single axis trackers improve efficiency by up to 40% [8] and tests have shown that dual axis trackers improves efficiency by almost 50% (35 to 42% by East-West trackers and 5 to 8% by NorthSouth) [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Cost-effective Microcontroller based Sensor for Dual Axis Solar Tracking

Meshram¹,

Valvi²,

Raykar³

2024

RE&PQJ

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Abstract.Energy crisis is one of the most important issues in today's world. Conventional energy resources are limited and are one of the primary reason for environmental pollution. The use of renewable energy is becoming increasingly popular. Solar energy is rapidly gaining ground as an important mean of expanding renewable energy use. Solar tracking is employed in order to maximize solar radiation collection by a photovoltaic panel. In this paper we present the design, fabrication and testing of an active dual axis open loop solar tracking sensor. The compactness of the design facilitates its easy mounting on any surface or place exposed to solar irradiance. The solar irradiance is detected by an Organic Photovoltaic Cell (OPV) which scans the sky for the maximum power point. Different modes of operation have been accommodated in a single generic mode which stops operation at night and facilitates night return of the panel(s) the sensor is connected to. This system is independent with respect to geographical location of the solar panel and diurnal as well as seasonal variations. This sensor can be effectively employed in efficient solar energy extraction for systems of any scale. The operation of the system is independent with respect to the initial configuration and the starting conditions. The experimental testing shows agreement with true sun coordinates with satisfactory degree of accuracy. This work can be extended to reduce the scan time of the sensor.

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“…1 The available literature describes several cases with good performance in terms of both reliability and energy gains. [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] Typical costs of PV grid-connected systems at current Spanish market are around 5s/Wp for static arrays (3s/Wp for PV modules plus wiring, 0Á5s/Wp for support structure plus civil works, 0Á5s/Wp for inverters and 1s/Wp for others) and 6s/Wp for two-axes tracking (support structure plus civil works are now 1, 5s/Wp). Then, investment increase is about 20% while energy yield increase is about 40%.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracking and ground cover ratio

Narvarte¹,

Lorenzo²

2008

Progress in Photovoltaics

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Energy yield and occupation of land are two parameters that must be optimized when designing a large PV plant. This paper presents the results of simulating the energy yield of flat panels for some locations and different tracking strategies as a function of the ground cover ratio. Some interesting results for design purposes, such as the optimal solar trackers depending on the land availability or the energy gains of every tracking strategy, are shown. For example, the energy gains associated to one north-south axis tracking, referenced to static surfaces, ranges from 18 to 25%, and from 37 to 45% for the two-axes tracker for reasonable ground cover ratios. To achieve these results, a simulation tool with appropriate models to calculate the energy yield for different solar trackers has been developed.

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Design of tracking photovoltaic systems with a single vertical axis

Cited by 82 publications

References 10 publications

Cost of energy and mutual shadows in a two-axis tracking PV system

Cost of energy and mutual shadows in a two-axis tracking PV system

A Cost-effective Microcontroller based Sensor for Dual Axis Solar Tracking

Tracking and ground cover ratio

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