Photovoltaic Plant Design

Presentation By,
Jay Joshi (17MSE005)
Content
 Solar PV technologies selection
 Why is it important?
 Available PV technologies
 Verdict
 Shading Analysis
 Types of Shadows
 Shading Assessment
 Infrastructure
 Monitoring and Forecasting
Content
 Solar PV technologies selection
 Why is it important?
 Available PV technologies
 Verdict
 Shading Analysis
 Types of Shadows
 Shading Assessment
 Infrastructure
 Monitoring and Forecasting
Importance
Component(s) Rs Component(s) Rs
(in Lakhs) (in Lakhs)
Supply and installation of modules 300 String combiner boxes 10
Module mounting structure 80 SCADA, weather station, 20
Earthing etc.
Inverters 60 Manpower 15
Cables and other civil works 35 ACDB, DCDB, control panels etc. 08
Transformers 18 Insurance 09
Meters, Isolators, four pole 15 Inverter and control room, 35
structure, switchyard lighting etc. Boundary wall work

Approximated price list for a 1MW PV power plant (2014)

Content
 Solar PV technologies selection
 Why is it important?
 Available PV technologies
 Verdict
 Shading Analysis
 Types of Shadows
 Shading Assessment
 Infrastructure
 Monitoring and Forecasting
Available PV Technologies
 1st Generation Solar Cells
 Monocrystalline Silicon Solar Cells (Mono – Si)
 Polycrystalline Silicon Solar Cells (P – Si)
 2nd Generation Solar Cells
 Thin-Film : Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells (A – Si)
 Thin Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) and Copper Indium Gallium (CIGs) Cells
 3rd Generation Solar Cells
 Biohybrid Solar Cells (Combination of organic and inorganic matter)
 Perovskite Solar Cells
 Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
 Concentrator Solar PV Cells
Available PV Technologies
 1st Generation Solar Cells
 Monocrystalline Silicon Solar Cells (Mono – Si)
 Polycrystalline Silicon Solar Cells (P – Si)
 2nd Generation Solar Cells
 Thin-Film : Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells (A – Si)
 Thin Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) and Copper Indium Gallium (CIGs) Cells
 3rd Generation Solar Cells
 Biohybrid Solar Cells (Combination of organic and inorganic matter)
 Perovskite Solar Cells
 Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
 Concentrator Solar PV Cells
 Comparison
Mono - Si P - Si Thin Film
Efficiency (cell) 26.7 % 22.3% 21%
Efficiency (module) 15% to 20% 13% to 16% 6% to 12%
Area Required Least More than Mono Most
Lifespan (module) 25 years 25 years 10 to 25 years
Effect of Temperature Less affected than poly Most affected Least affected
Cost Most expensive Least Expensive Less expensive than
Mono
Market Share Most Less than Mono Least and declining

Approximated data. It may vary from source to source.

Available PV Technologies
 1st Generation Solar Cells
 Monocrystalline Silicon Solar Cells (Mono – Si)
 Polycrystalline Silicon Solar Cells (P – Si)
 2nd Generation Solar Cells
 Thin-Film : Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells (A – Si)
 Thin Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) and Copper Indium Gallium (CIGs) Cells
 3rd Generation Solar Cells
 Biohybrid Solar Cells (Combination of organic and inorganic matter)
 Perovskite Solar Cells
 Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
 Concentrator Solar PV Cells
Biohybrid Solar Cells

Sun

hυ

Photocurrent
Conventional Solar Cell
Biohybrid Solar Cells

Sun

hυ

Photosystem I
Photocurrent
Silicon Support
 Biohybrid Solar Cells

 Organic (PS I) and inorganic materials are used

 Photosystem I (PS I) is extracted from Spinach
responsible for the photosynthesis purpose
 Acclaimed a near 100% efficiency.
 Still in research phase
Verdict
 Comparatively new technology
 Demands further research
 Modules aren’t available
 Very high degradation in small amount of time (lasts from several weeks up to 8
months)
Available PV Technologies
 1st Generation Solar Cells
 Monocrystalline Silicon Solar Cells (Mono – Si)
 Polycrystalline Silicon Solar Cells (P – Si)
 2nd Generation Solar Cells
 Thin-Film : Amorphous Silicon Solar Cells (A – Si)
 Thin Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) and Copper Indium Gallium (CIGs) Cells
 3rd Generation Solar Cells
 Biohybrid Solar Cells (Combination of organic and inorganic matter)
 Perovskite Solar Cells
 Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells
 Concentrator Solar PV Cells
Concentrator Solar PV Cells (CPV)

 Works with the use of

concentrating optics that
reduces the cell area,
allowing the high efficiency
multijunction solar cells
(based on III – V
Semiconductors) to work
under high Direct Normal
Irradiance (DNI).

CPV using Fresnel Lens

Concentrator Solar PV Cells (CPV)

 Works with the use of

concentrating optics that
reduces the cell area,
allowing the high efficiency
multijunction solar cells
(based on III – V
Semiconductors) to work
under high Direct Normal
Irradiance (DNI).

CPV using Parabolic Mirrors

Concentrator Solar PV Cells (CPV)

 Works with the use of

concentrating optics that
reduces the cell area,
allowing the high efficiency
multijunction solar cells
(based on III – V
Semiconductors) to work
under high Direct Normal
Irradiance (DNI).

CPV using Reflectors

Concentrator Solar PV Cells (CPV)

 The temperature rise is

alarming in this technology,
so cooling is required.
 The cells work under from
less than 100 to more than
1000 concentration ratio.

Cooling techniques in CPV

Concentrator Solar PV Cells (CPV)

Use of Parabolic Mirrors with CPV with Fresnel lenses,

concentration up to 500x developed by Fraunhofer ISE
Verdict
 Efficiency is the major benefactor (43.8% recorded at cell level)
 Low temperature coefficient
 Heat energy can be gained from the cooling mechanisms
 Doesn’t work under the diffused radiation
 High cost
 New gen technology, higher risk.
Content
 Solar PV technologies selection
 Why is it important?
 Available PV technologies
 Verdict
 Shading Analysis
 Types of Shadows
 Shading Assessment
 Infrastructure
 Monitoring and Forecasting
Final Verdict
 For the foreseeable future, mono-crystalline and polycrystalline silicon
technology will dominate the market.
 Selecting the technology will depend on the purpose of the project
 The selection will be focused on the site location.
 The site location will define the ambient temperature, available land space,
weather scenario etc.
 The budget of the project will play a key role in selecting the panels.
Content
 Solar PV technologies selection
 Why is it important?
 Available PV technologies
 Verdict
 Shading Analysis
 Types of Shadows
 Shading Assessment
 Infrastructure
 Monitoring and Forecasting
Content
 Solar PV technologies selection
 Why is it important?
 Available PV technologies
 Verdict
 Shading Analysis
 Types of Shadows
 Shading Assessment
 Infrastructure
 Monitoring and Forecasting
 Types of Shadows

 Temporary Shadow
 Occurs due to snow, leaves, bird
droppings etc.
 Self cleaning can be achieved by the
good tilt angles of the PV arrays.
 Types of Shadows

 Shadows resulting from buildings

 Shadows resulting from the nearby
buildings, overhang wires, satellite
dishes, offset building structures,
trees etc.
 It should be taken care in the initial
phase of the plant designing
 Types of Shadows

 Self Shading
 self-shading of the modules may be
caused by the row of modules in
front.
 It can be avoided by optimizing the
distance between the module rows.
 A poorly designed system may
cause micro shading.
 Types of Shadows
 Direct Shading
 It could significantly reduce the power output and has the potential to damage
the system.
 The closer the object, the darker the shadow will be.
Content
 Solar PV technologies selection
 Why is it important?
 Available PV technologies
 Verdict
 Shading Analysis
 Types of Shadows
 Shading Assessment
 Infrastructure
 Monitoring and Forecasting
Shading Assessment
 𝑎 𝑜𝑝𝑡𝑖   =  Where, = distance of Earth from Sun
= Diameter of Sun
Shading Assessment
 𝑎 𝑜𝑝𝑡𝑖   = = 108  Where, = distance of Earth from Sun
= Diameter of Sun
 Shading Assessment
For
  example,
 𝑎 𝑜𝑝𝑡𝑖   = 108
From overhang cable of 5cm, panels should be 5 108 = 5.4m away.
Shading Analysis
 Solar Pathfinder
 Shading Analysis
 Software available for shading analysis
 Autodesk ECOTEC Analysis
 METEONORM
 Shadow Analyzer
 Shadows
 pvPlanner
 Amethyst ShadowFX
 Sombrero
 Panorama master
 Horizon
 GOSOL
References
 Current Status of Concentrator Photovoltaic Technology by Maike Wiesenfarth, Dr. Simon P.
Philipps, Dr. Andreas W. Bett, Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE in Freiburg,
Germany
 Planning and installing photovoltaic systems by eartchscan publications
 T. Gerstmaier, T. Zech, M. Röttger, C. Braun, and A. Gombert, “Large-scale and long-term
CPV power plant field results,” in AIP Conference Proceedings 1679 (2015), Vol. 1679, p.
30002.
 Solar Photovoltaics : Fundamentals, Technologies and Applications by C. S. Solanki