Geometric method for assessing the shadowing of objects in solar power engineering

Abstract

This paper describes a geometric model for assessing the effective area of solar panels with regard to their shadowing when the object is illuminated by the solar flow from a given direction. Using energy methods, the flow density, the irradiation created by it, and the exposure in radiant or effective units of measurement were determined. Both physical and mathematical formulation of the problem of assessing the energy efficiency of solar panels using the method of geometric modeling are described. To evaluate energy efficiency, a voxel geometric model was selected that discretizes the computational space. A significant difference in the developed voxel geometric model is that it is multivalued, i.e. uses not a 2-digit, but a 4-digit code. Such ambiguity allows the decisive algorithm to quickly “figure out” the origin of the shadow source when calculating the total effective area of solar panels. The described software implementation of the geometric model, graphical shell, and model verification results can be used in the optimization system for designing spacecraft and other solar energy facilities.

Shading in Utility‐Scale Photovoltaic Plants: A Hemicube Approach for Efficient Shading Calculations

“…[ 25 ] In the field of solar energy, an approach using hemicubes was proposed by Blaise et al [ 26 ] to account for the reflected irradiance in façades when considering the solar potential in urban environments. Conceptually, the hemicube geometry is similar to the voxel geometry proposed by Markin [ 20 ] for shading of direct irradiance in space applications. However, a voxel (volume pixel) would represent an element (e.g., a cube) on a regular grid with a single value (or a single set of properties), whereas the hemicube would have different values or properties in each side of its geometry.…”

“…scanline rendering. To this category belong geometric approaches using trigonometric ratios, such as the method proposed by Ike and Kurokawa, [19] or the model proposed by Markin [20] using voxel geometry to estimate direct (beam) component shading for space applications; to this first category also belong analytical (numeric) models, such as the model proposed by Deline et al, [21] which is the model implemented in the tool SAM and is used for row-to-row shading in flat terrain based on the fraction of parallel strings with shaded DOI: 10.1002/solr.202300473 Accurate estimations of energy production in the planning and design stage of photovoltaic (PV) plants require advanced and efficient models to simulate shading effects. This is particularly important for plants located in complex terrain or plants that are affected by nearby shading obstacles.…”

“…scanline rendering. To this category belong geometric approaches using trigonometric ratios, such as the method proposed by Ike and Kurokawa, [ 19 ] or the model proposed by Markin [ 20 ] using voxel geometry to estimate direct (beam) component shading for space applications; to this first category also belong analytical (numeric) models, such as the model proposed by Deline et al, [ 21 ] which is the model implemented in the tool SAM and is used for row‐to‐row shading in flat terrain based on the fraction of parallel strings with shaded submodules. In the second category are ray‐tracing techniques, which can provide higher visual fidelity but are generally slower than scanline rendering methods.…”