Technical and Economic Optimal Solutions for Utility-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Parks

Abstract

Solar energy has shown to be a successful renewable source, wherefore large investments are planned in the upcoming decades. This work aims at developing technical and economical solutions to optimize a utility-scale grid connected solar photovoltaic park with an installed capacity of 24 MWp. Several successive simulations were automatically performed with the PVSyst software, so that each influencing parameter is individually analyzed. Moreover, a comprehensive study touching relevant aspects, such as central versus string inverters, landscape versus portrait dispositions, the optimal tilt angle (for fixed tilt systems), backtracking strategy (for single axis tracking systems), shading limit angle, and pitch is performed with the objective of finding the configuration leading to the higher grid injected energy output. The levelized cost of energy (LCOE) was obtained for 12 different cases in which, for both fixed tilt and single-axis tracking (SAT), central and string inverters and portrait/landscape disposition were considered. The lowest LCOE achieved was 32.23 €/MWh, which is a clear indication of the competitiveness of the solar Photovoltaic (PV) technology. The most economic viable solution is characterized by the employment of an SAT system with the backtracking strategy, together with string inverters and module portrait disposition.

Broad-Spectrum Technical and Economic Assessment of a Solar PV Park: A Case Study in Portugal

“…Silva et al [5] conducted an optimization study of a large-scale power plant, similar to the one proposed here, although taking a different approach regarding some of the technical parameters-DC-AC ratio was not optimized, for example, and a standardized approach was followed instead. Also, the maximization of economic viability and specifically the values for the variation of CAPEX and OPEX with the different technologies were directly supplied by the partner company without an analysis and benchmarking of the industry values having been carried out.…”

“…The state-of-the-art solution to compute the maximum open circuit voltage is to use Equation (3), leading to 25 modules per string, which was implemented in the real PV park followed in this study. An alternative that allowed more modules to be connected in series in a string was to use Equation (5), which, in this case, led to 28 modules per string. The simulation results obtained for the two methods under assessment, after overcoming the limitations of PVSyst regarding these simulations, are presented in Table 5.…”

Taguchi ve ANOVA Analizi Kullanılarak Fotovoltaik Enerji Santrallerinde Dizi Tasarımının Optimizasyonu

“…However, conventionally, the worst-case scenario (December 21) is considered to minimize mutual shadings. To ensure the absence of shading on the solar panel plane, the pitch is calculated using Equation (1) for a specified shading limit angle [28].…”

“…This presentation aligns with the design of the PV system, as it is based on shed parameters rather than the initial available area. This approach is deemed more pertinent as it incorporates shed characteristics, ensuring a more accurate representation of the actual ground cover ratio in the PV system design [28].…”

Extending the Input Voltage Range of Solar PV Inverters with Supercapacitor Energy Circulation

“…Micro-inverters best suit partially shaded roofs so that shade affecting one panel will not affect other unshaded panels and is useful on roofs that are too small to enable a string of panels to be installed. Over the past few years, the solar energy has become a feasible solution wherever solar radiation is accessible and the number of residential-scale photovoltaic (PV) generators is rapidly increasing [5,6]. As investment in solar energy rapidly increases worldwide, so does the market share of the various inverter configurations [7].…”