▼This page was created as part of the 2014 MTU graduate course MY5490/EE5490: Solar Photovoltaic Science and Engineering
It's open edit now, so feel free to improve it.
Abstract The cut-off of any subsidy or feed-in tariff that incentives the installation of new renewable energy systems which are close to the grid parity, is a reality in most of the European countries, but in the recent years the grid parity has worsened because of the global economic crisis. In the case of Spain, in addition to the economic problems, the photovoltaic sector has been dramatically damaged through a changeable regulatory framework, an excessive bureaucracy and the inclusion of additional fees or possible back-up tolls that are very prejudicial for the deployment of this sector. Nowadays, the current Spanish legislation mentions the possibility of self-consumption (totally or partially) of the electricity generated by PV or any renewable energy systems but, up to the date of this work, the law that regulates the administrative, technical and economic conditions for the net-metering of the electrical energy produced within the consumer׳s network, is still under a draft stage. In this paper it is analyzed the case of the University of Jaen, where it has been identified and simulated several PV systems on the roofs and parking lots of the University Campus, and considering the current electrical tariffs (hourly defined for the case of high power and high voltage consumers), it has been done a cost and economic analysis. As a result, it has been obtained an average Levelised Cost of Energy around 0.125 € kWh−1, a discount payback time of 17.5 years or less, a positive Net Present Value and a nominal Internal Rate of Return of 8.48% in the worst case. Beyond that, it has been carried out a sensitivity analysis of the factors that have more influence in the profitability of these systems, like the initial investment cost, the PV electricity yield, additional taxes and the variations in the electricity price market.
Abstract The aim of this paper is to describe and discuss about the main objectives and functions of the Energy Management System (EMS) of the Green Campus Smart Grid (GCSG). The main objectives of the Green Campus Smart Grid project are to realise fully functional smart grid (SG) environment, to demonstrate the functions of the smart grid and to function as a test platform for further smart grid related research. The EMS is responsible for controlling the smart grid devices and applications connected to the smart grid environment. By gathering the information from these devices to the EMS database, it can optimise the operation of the devices by accessing single database? and increase energy efficiency of the smart grid. The database also serves research purposes by offering access to long term data of the devices connected to the smart grid environment.
Abstract With more and more distributed generators (photovoltaic and wind) and distributed energy resources being integrated into power networks, traditional electricity grids may be replaced by smaller and more efficient grids called microgrids. Especially in recent years, there has been a significant increase in photovoltaic (PV) installations in Australia. As such, potential for microgrids to continue supply power to loads during a blackout was evident. However, microgrids have posed a concern for utilities as they do not provide utilities the same ability as the conventional grid to regulate microgrid voltage and frequency, and later possibly interfere with restoration of normal electricity supply. This paper investigates the feasibility of forming a microgrid in the University of Queensland for continuous electricity supply during power outage by utilizing its PV and storage systems. A simple but effective load shedding algorithm based on existing schemes and future technologies has been implemented. It also demonstrates how microgrid resynchronization can be achieved.
Abstract U-I characteristics - or electric power - as function of electrical voltage or current - of a solar panel (PV cell or panel) gives important information for developers, engineers and users. From this reason to get U-I plot or characterization of the electric power of a solar panel plays important role at the tests. In this paper a new and easy experimental method for U-I measurement (indirectly measured electric power data) for PV cells will be introduced. The new idea describes a simple, fast and reliable way how to get U-I characteristics - or power properties - of PV cells in a laboratory at a university using basic experimental tools.
Abstract The tilt angle of the photovoltaic (PV) array is the key to an optimum power generation. Solar panels or PV arrays are most efficient, when they are perpendicular to the sun's rays. Optimal tilt angle of solar panel are different at places of the earth. In Ulaanbaatar that is coldest capital city, the optimal tilt angle is 30 degrees in summer and 60 degrees in winter. By the calculation, the average tilt angle of the solar panel in Ulaanbaatar that can produce annually large amount energy is around 45 degrees. But 45 degrees of tilt angle are not so suitable due to snow and ice accumulation on the solar panel during winter in Ulaanbaatar.
Abstract This paper presents a new approach to computing the optimal tilt angle for photovoltaic (PV) panels. The influence of cloudy conditions on the tilt angle is explored. It is demonstrated that more energy can be extracted from the PV system in cloudy conditions when the tilt angle of the panel is decreased compared to when the panel is aimed to be facing directly normal to the sun. Validation for fixed tilt, south-facing panels and for 2-axis tracking panels is presented by numerical simulations.
Abstract Lightning strikes can affect photovoltaic (PV) generators and their installations, involving also the inverter's electronics. It is therefore necessary to evaluate the risk connected to lightning strikes in order to adopt the correct protective measures for the system. The Standard IEC (EN) 62305-2 reports the procedures for the risk calculation and for the choice of proper lightning protection systems. Usually the technical guidelines suggest protecting with SPDs (surge protective devices) both DC and AC sides of the PV installation. The paper estimates overvoltages due to lightning discharges and evaluates the actual need of lightning protection measures on the basis of the results of the risk analysis and of the protection costs. The paper in the first part presents the procedure for the evaluation of the risk connected to lightning strikes according to the Standard IEC EN 62305-2; then it applies the procedure to typical PV installations, analyzing risks and risk components which have to be kept into account. In the second part the paper studies the surge overcurrents to be expected on LV systems, induced voltages caused by direct flashes and by flashes near the PV installation. Approximated equations for the calculation of induced voltages and currents are given for different types of LPS (lightning protection systems) and lightning flashes. In the last part of the paper the methodology is applied as an example to a practical case and some conclusions are given.
Abstract Photovoltaic systems are currently being considered as competitive sources of power energy around the world including Malaysia. However, the main problem hampering the expansion of solar energy is its high cost per kWh. This research is carried out to study the economic feasibility of a 16kWp grid connected photovoltaic (PV) system at Green Energy Research Center (GERC), UiTM Shah Alam. The PV system comprises of 1) A 6 kWp single phase PV system and 2) A 10kWp three phase PV system. The analysis is carried out considering the system will be sold to power utility and paid at the Feed-in tariff (FiT) set by Sustainable Energy Development Authority Malaysia (SEDA). A financial model is developed to calculate the expected Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of the project over its expected lifetime. The effects of uncertainties i.e. solar irradiance, investment cost, discount rate and inverter failure on the profitability of the PV system are studied using 1) sensitivity analysis and 2) probabilistic analysis. Sensitivity analysis shows that the profitability of the PV project is most affected by solar irradiation followed by FiT, investment cost and discount rate. The probabilistic analysis shows that considering the current FiT and with no inverter failure, the confidence level of getting the IRR greater than Minimum Acceptable Rate of Return (MARR) of 12% is 75%. On the other hand, for the case with inverter failure, the confidence level of getting the IRR greater than 12% is 25%.
Abstract This paper presents an algorithm for the economical design of a utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) power plant via compromising between the cost of energy and the availability of the plant. The algorithm inputs are the plant peak power and the price of inverters with respect to their power ratings. The outputs are the optimum inverter ratings and the interconnection topology of PV panels. This paper introduces the effective levelized cost of energy (LCOE) (ELCOE) index as the core of the proposed design algorithm. ELCOE is an improved index based on the conventional LCOE that includes the availability of a power plant in economical assessments. The conventional LCOE index determines centralized topology (e.g., 1-MW inverter for a 1-MW PV power plant) for minimizing the energy generation cost, whereas based on ELCOE, a multistring topology (e.g., a 1-MW PV plant consists of fifty 20-kW inverters) despite of higher investment cost becomes the economically winning topology. Given the price of commercially available PV inverters at present, the case studies in this paper show that, for 0.1–100-MW PV power plants, the economical ratings of inverters range from 8 to 100 kW. The recently installed PV power plants confirm the feasibility of the calculations based on the suggested algorithm.
Abstract PV based large scale energy generation has spread significantly. In spite of similar technical parameters the amount of yearly produced energy may differ by notable percents. It results from the operation of solar trackers and also from the different spectral behavior of the different PV panel types. In this paper we introduce a novel on site spectral sensitivity measurement method. The spectral characteristic is recalculated from separate power maximum measurements, where the measurements are made by spectrally different natural irradiation (sunrise, noon, foggy, cloudy, etc.).
| License | CC-BY-SA-3.0 |
|---|---|
| Cite as | Negin Heidari (2014–2026). "PV powered universities literature review". Appropedia. Retrieved October 3, 2026. |