Concept Paper
Version 2
Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed
Panel Surface Area Maximization for Increasing PV Performance
Version 1
: Received: 20 May 2024 / Approved: 20 May 2024 / Online: 21 May 2024 (03:42:02 CEST)
Version 2 : Received: 4 September 2024 / Approved: 5 September 2024 / Online: 5 September 2024 (10:13:32 CEST)
Version 2 : Received: 4 September 2024 / Approved: 5 September 2024 / Online: 5 September 2024 (10:13:32 CEST)
How to cite: Okello, M. O. Panel Surface Area Maximization for Increasing PV Performance. Preprints 2024, 2024051294. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.1294.v2 Okello, M. O. Panel Surface Area Maximization for Increasing PV Performance. Preprints 2024, 2024051294. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202405.1294.v2
Abstract
The amount of solar energy produced is directly proportional to the surface area of solar panels exposed to sun rays. To increase the productivity of solar panels, a number of techniques are proposed by curving the surface or protruding the panel surface to maximise the surface area, e.g. Protruding panel surfaces with shapes such as pyramidal, cone, spherical cap, sinusoidal wavy curve, etc. These techniques are analysed to determine whether the panel surface area increases. The geometrical design analysis showed that, depending on the chosen surface curving method, the panel can achieve a remarkable increase in surface area.The system advisor model was used to assess a sample of solar cells with standard measurements of 6 by 6 inches that were organised in a zigzag pattern with different angles of inclination (10°, 15°, 20°, 25°, 30°, and 35°). Overall, the maximum power pump and annual AC energy performance increase by 1.4%, 4.2%, 6.8%, 10.8%, 14.9%, and 21.6%, respectively, over a one-year period of productivity. However, by applying the concept of solar panel efficiency degradation due to tilting solar panels at an angle by Mamun et al. (2022), for each 5° increase in tilt angle beyond the ideal 10°, the efficiency decreases by approximately 0.76%. In conclusion, the overall efficiency is greater than that of standard flat solar panels, provided the tilt angle is within a reasonable range.
Keywords
geometry; shape optimisation; photovoltaic; solar energy; renewable energy; system advisor model
Subject
Computer Science and Mathematics, Geometry and Topology
Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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