PVUSA-the first decade of experience

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.

“…and cos c S ¼ ðsin g s sin f À sin dÞ=ðcos g s cos fÞ (3) where d, f and v are, respectively, the latitude, the declination and the hour angles.…”

Section: Tracking Geometrymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracking and ground cover ratio

Narvarte¹,

Lorenzo²

2008

“…The PVUSA plan in the United States consisted of a number of concentrator prototypes that were installed and measured, 24 but they all were small installations hardly representative of a real plant. Some efficiencies recorded from this experience are detailed in Figure 9.…”

Section: Systems Experiencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…. 24 It allows concentrator (ENTECH and AMONIX) and non-concentrator (the rest) performances to be compared…”

Section: Manufacturingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Photovoltaic concentration at the onset of its commercial deployment

Ĺuque

Sala

Luque-Heredia

2006

An overview of the field of photovoltaic concentration is provided taking into account that we think we are at the onset of its real commercialization. This belief is justified in this paper. It first contains a description of the different elements in a concentrator, stressing the challenges associated with each element, and then we describe briefly the different concentrators that we think are currently in a real pre-commercial stage. Finally, we discuss a number of issues associated to the deployment of the field including cost, experience, and market tendencies. This paper goes on to summarize the Conclusions.

“…High reliability and low maintenance requirements have been demonstrated in several practical projects. [1][2] The Toledo PV Plant, for example, where a 1000-m 2 tracking system has been in routine operation since July 1994, with 100% availability. This can be interpreted as a mean time between failures below 60 000 h, which speaks for itself.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Design of tracking photovoltaic systems with a single vertical axis

Lorenzo

Pérez²,

Ezpeleta³

et al. 2002

Solar tracking is used in large grid-connected photovoltaic plants to maximise solar radiation collection and, hence, to reduce the cost of delivered electricity. In particular, single vertical axis tracking, also called azimuth tracking, allows for energy gains up to 40%, compared with optimally tilted fully static arrays. This paper examines the theoretical aspects associated with the design of azimuth tracking, taking into account shadowing between different trackers and back-tracking features. Then, the practical design of the trackers installed at the 1Á4 MW Tudela PV plant is presented and discussed. Finally, this tracking alternative is compared with the more conventional fully stationary approach.