Researchers at the University of Gävle in Sweden have conducted a series of tests at a 1.12 MW PV plant with tracking systems deployed in Oued Nechou, Ghardaia, Algeria, and have found that there is a strong correlation between its performance ratio and air temperature, output power, and irradiation.
The scientists used experimental data and the PVGIS software simulator to measure the performance of the facility, which was built as a pilot project in 2016. It consists of six subfields built with fixed structures and totaling 918 kW and two subfields relying on motorized solar trackers with a combined capacity of 203 kW.
The plant was built with 100 kW of amorphous silicon (a-Si) panels, 100 kW of cadmium telluride (CdTe) modules, 315 kW of monocrystalline panels, and 606 kW of polycrystalline products. They were arranged either in series or parallel configurations, depending on the subfield size.
The tests were conducted between January and December 2016, with data being recorded every 30 min using a SCADA monitoring system in accordance with the IEC 61724 standard, which outlines terminology, equipment, and methods for performance monitoring and analysis of photovoltaic (PV) systems. The analysis compared actual measured values with simulation results previously conducted by the research team.
The measurements recorded average temperatures ranging from 42 C in July to 16 C in December, while radiation levels were found to span from 7.1 kWh/m2/day to 5.4 kWh/m2/day. The simulated performance values were found to be slightly higher than the measured values throughout nearly the entire year, with temperature, irradiation, atmospheric pressure, humidity, and sandstorms significantly impacting the plant performance.
The academics also found that the plant achieved its highest capacity factor and the highest power yields in January, February, and December, when temperatures were lower, while the higher performance ratio values were recorded in December, February, and March.
The overall performance ratio of the plant was found to be 82%, which compares to around 84.5% for a desert PV facility in Kuwait, 79% in Morocco, and 66% in Mauritania.
“This study reveals superior performance ratios for the investigated PV pilot plant compared to installations in other locations, even those with similar environmental conditions,” the team emphasized. “Several factors likely contribute to these performance differences, including the technology of the PV modules, the inverter systems employed, and the specific design configuration of each installation.”
The researchers presented the 12-year analysis in the paper “Performance evaluation of grid-connected photovoltaic pilot plant in saharan climate using experimental and numerical analysis,” published in scientific reports.
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