The Use of Floating Solar Panels in Hot Regions Such as Iraq to Benefit in Cooling the Panels and Increasing Their Efficiency

Abstract

The operating of photovoltaic panels (PV) comes with a serious contradiction. This system of solar PV panels prefers high radiation to generate electricity, but when rising their operating temperature by negative effects on their efficiency. Thus, one of the major working barriers for PV panels is overheating because of surplus solar irradiation. To get rid of the problem of overheating of the panels, we propose a new design that floats on the surface of the water floating photovoltaic panels (FPV) to take advantage of the nature of water in heat transfer, thus cooling the panels and raising the efficiency of the panels. For the purpose of this study, we proposed one of the regions of central Iraq, namely the Marsh Al-Dalmach, which is located in Wasit province, and it is one of the areas rich in solar radiation (2150 kWh/m2/year) and the length of daylight hours more 4000 operating hours during the year. After conducting a survey around the area and collecting the necessary data for use in programs such as Homer and Matlab, great results were obtained, as this design of the stations contributes to reducing temperatures and raising the efficiency of the panels from 15% to 24%.

Analysis of a gas station hybridization with a solar thermal plant by using ETAP

“…The main bus (Khur Zubair) connected with step-up transformers a raised voltage level to 400 kV to send the surplus power to the national grid by 2 threewinding transformers with 250 MVA per one. The main bus (Khur Zubair) fed eight main loads (steel factory 22 MW, Fao 21.6 MW, bab Zubair 20.5 MW, Rumaila field 80 MW, Um-Qaser city and the port 220 MW, the Zubair oil field 45 MW, Albaker port 20 MW, the center city 110 MW) most of the loads are consumed in the oil fields, factories and ports, as the deficit is met by the national network [5,7]. We designed the simulation of the system by helping program ETAP, and then implement the desired analyses at two situations before and after combined gas station with a solar thermal power station.…”

“…The power station design is a plant of gas turbine system with ability 200 MW lying in Al-Basrah province, we will be combining two steam turbines with ability 75 MW at high pressure, and the second with ability 65 MW at low pressure, with reheater and the economizer [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]. We chose this station for two reasons, firstly, for its distinguished location in Al-Basra city, where it is located outside the city and surrounded by large empty spaces, as the city is considered the best Iraqi city with the amount of solar radiation during the year, which makes it distinct to establish a thermal station next to it and the use of empty spaces to install solar reflectors to operate the auxiliary heat station.…”