Evaluation of Optimal Occasional Tilt on Photovoltaic Power Plant Energy Efficiency and Land Use Requirements, Iran

Abstract

The paper studies the optimum panel horizontal orientation angle toward the Sun and the optimum time interval of the panel’s movement. The optimum time intervals or panel movement can change the rate of input energy to the panel surface in Iran. For this purpose, a neural network has been trained to estimate the intensity of solar radiation in Iran. After model validation, the intensity of solar radiation has been estimated by selecting adequate geographical regions. Based on the intensity of sunlight, Iran has been divided into ten regions. In these regions, 40 cities have been randomly selected to study the effect of the panel’s angle variations within appropriate time intervals, as well as equal time intervals. The results show that the choice of the mounting system with the possibility of five angles’ implementation can increase the amount of solar energy between 3.9% and 7.4%. Compared to this number of angles at the equal time intervals, the amount of incoming solar energy has increased by 3% to 7%. In the first and second cases, the area of the power plant increases by about 12% to 24% compared to the yearly optimum tilt angle. Moreover, the amount of radiation incoming to the panel with the optimum operating angle is in alignment with the results of PVsyst software.

On the Performance of Solar Thermophotovoltaics (STPVs) and Wavelength-Selective Thermophotovoltaics (TPVs): Case Study of a High-Rise Residential Building in a Hot and Semi-Arid Climate

“…Lower temperatures contribute to enhancing the overall efficiency and electrical performance of photovoltaic systems [29]. Moreover, considering Iran's location in the northern hemisphere, the orientation of PV panels installed on a vertical façade is strategically designed to maximize solar absorption during the winter months [30]. It is crucial to highlight that the tower façades are not shaded by adjacent buildings in the east and west directions.…”