Floating photovoltaics performance simulation approach
Floating photovoltaics (FPVs) provide various benefits especially where land is scarce (e.g., reducing land occupancy, water evaporation and environment control…), or when they are combined with hydropower plants (enhanced capacity factor and green energy generation). Software such as PV∗SOL, SAM an...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Heliyon |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240584402203184X |
| _version_ | 1797961005111705600 |
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| author | Sofiane Kichou Nikolaos Skandalos Petr Wolf |
| author_facet | Sofiane Kichou Nikolaos Skandalos Petr Wolf |
| author_sort | Sofiane Kichou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Floating photovoltaics (FPVs) provide various benefits especially where land is scarce (e.g., reducing land occupancy, water evaporation and environment control…), or when they are combined with hydropower plants (enhanced capacity factor and green energy generation). Software such as PV∗SOL, SAM and PVSyst® are commonly used for the design and simulation of land-based photovoltaic (PV) systems. However, when it comes to the simulation of photovoltaics installed on water surface, such software does not offer the option to directly simulate FPV systems.In this work, a new approach combining MATLAB and Rhino/Grasshopper environments is proposed for the assessment of FPV systems performance. The approach is divided into various steps considering major influencing parameters such as temperature, irradiance, albedo, PV modelling, panel rows spacing, tilt angle, as well as the benefits of including a tracking mechanism. The proposed approach was validated against PV∗SOL simulations for land-based PV systems with a small deviation of less than 2.4%. FPVs simulations considering climatic conditions of Štěchovice, Czechia, showed an increase of the performance in the range of 3% compared to terrestrial PVs. This result is in accordance with some published studies based on real FPVs installations. Finally, the developed approach was applied in the simulations of two large-scale FPV systems with different designs (fixed and with a tracking mechanism) including economical aspects. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T00:52:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c755ec60848d433ca62947e33e1c57aa |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2405-8440 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T00:52:38Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Heliyon |
| spelling | doaj.art-c755ec60848d433ca62947e33e1c57aa2023-01-05T08:37:19ZengElsevierHeliyon2405-84402022-12-01812e11896Floating photovoltaics performance simulation approachSofiane Kichou0Nikolaos Skandalos1Petr Wolf2Corresponding author.; Czech Technical University in Prague, University Centre for Energy Efficient Buildings, 1024 Třinecká St. 27343 Buštěhrad, Czech RepublicCorresponding author.; Czech Technical University in Prague, University Centre for Energy Efficient Buildings, 1024 Třinecká St. 27343 Buštěhrad, Czech RepublicCzech Technical University in Prague, University Centre for Energy Efficient Buildings, 1024 Třinecká St. 27343 Buštěhrad, Czech RepublicFloating photovoltaics (FPVs) provide various benefits especially where land is scarce (e.g., reducing land occupancy, water evaporation and environment control…), or when they are combined with hydropower plants (enhanced capacity factor and green energy generation). Software such as PV∗SOL, SAM and PVSyst® are commonly used for the design and simulation of land-based photovoltaic (PV) systems. However, when it comes to the simulation of photovoltaics installed on water surface, such software does not offer the option to directly simulate FPV systems.In this work, a new approach combining MATLAB and Rhino/Grasshopper environments is proposed for the assessment of FPV systems performance. The approach is divided into various steps considering major influencing parameters such as temperature, irradiance, albedo, PV modelling, panel rows spacing, tilt angle, as well as the benefits of including a tracking mechanism. The proposed approach was validated against PV∗SOL simulations for land-based PV systems with a small deviation of less than 2.4%. FPVs simulations considering climatic conditions of Štěchovice, Czechia, showed an increase of the performance in the range of 3% compared to terrestrial PVs. This result is in accordance with some published studies based on real FPVs installations. Finally, the developed approach was applied in the simulations of two large-scale FPV systems with different designs (fixed and with a tracking mechanism) including economical aspects.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240584402203184XFloating photovoltaics (FPV)Solar trackingFPV designEnergy yieldTechno-economic analysis |
| spellingShingle | Sofiane Kichou Nikolaos Skandalos Petr Wolf Floating photovoltaics performance simulation approach Heliyon Floating photovoltaics (FPV) Solar tracking FPV design Energy yield Techno-economic analysis |
| title | Floating photovoltaics performance simulation approach |
| title_full | Floating photovoltaics performance simulation approach |
| title_fullStr | Floating photovoltaics performance simulation approach |
| title_full_unstemmed | Floating photovoltaics performance simulation approach |
| title_short | Floating photovoltaics performance simulation approach |
| title_sort | floating photovoltaics performance simulation approach |
| topic | Floating photovoltaics (FPV) Solar tracking FPV design Energy yield Techno-economic analysis |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240584402203184X |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sofianekichou floatingphotovoltaicsperformancesimulationapproach AT nikolaosskandalos floatingphotovoltaicsperformancesimulationapproach AT petrwolf floatingphotovoltaicsperformancesimulationapproach |