Software Analysis of Solar PV System Efficacy

Engineering notes

Engineering notes will be added by the Power for Solar editorial team.

Chinese explanation / 中文解读

中文解读待补充：本站会优先为光伏效率、钙钛矿太阳能电池、储能技术、太阳能热利用、BIPV、并网技术等高价值论文补充中文说明。

Original abstract

There are many times when an energy engineer is tasked with developing a solar project using virtual tools. This chapter provides an overview of how an energy engineer can perform preliminary site investigations of solar projects by virtually assessing their generation and economic potential without the need to physically visit the site. It discusses ways to perform a solar photovoltaic analysis of a sample site using virtual surveying and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory&s;s PVWatts, a web-based tool used to estimate the electrical generation from a solar photovoltaic system. Two case studies for hypothetical sites are provided using PVWatts to assess the solar potentials of orientation options and selected module racking systems. One example considers a new solar array mounted on the roof of an existing commercial building; the other assesses a canopy-mounted system for an electric vehicle charging station. The case studies are designed to compare the electrical production of the solar PV systems based on the orientation and type of racking system. The use of solar thermal systems for water heating is also considered.

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