Double-sided solar panels that follow the sun prove most cost effective
Date:
June 3, 2020
Source:
Cell Press
Summary:
Solar power systems with double-sided (bifacial) solar panels
-- which collect sunlight from two sides instead of one --
and single-axis tracking technology that tilts the panels so
they can follow the sun are the most cost effective to date,
researchers report. They determined that this combination of
technologies produces almost 35% more energy, on average, than
immobile single-panel photovoltaic systems, while reducing the
cost of electricity by an average of 16%.
FULL STORY ========================================================================== Solar power systems with double-sided (bifacial) solar panels -- which
collect sunlight from two sides instead of one -- and single-axis
tracking technology that tilts the panels so they can follow the sun
are the most cost effective to date, researchers report June 3rd in the
journal Joule. They determined that this combination of technologies
produces almost 35% more energy, on average, than immobile single-panel photovoltaic systems, while reducing the cost of electricity by an
average of 16%.
==========================================================================
"The results are stable, even when accounting for changes in the weather conditions and in the costs from the solar panels and the other components
of the photovoltaic system, over a fairly wide range," says first
author Carlos Rodri'guez-Gallegos, a research fellow at the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore, sponsored by the National University of Singapore. "This means that investing in bifacial and tracking systems
should be a safe bet for the foreseeable future." Research efforts
tend to focus on further boosting energy output from solar power systems
by improving solar cell efficiency, but the energy yield per panel can
also be increased in other ways. Double-sided solar panels, for example, produce more energy per unit area than their standard counterparts and
can function in similar locations, including rooftops. This style of
solar panel, as well as tracking technology that allows each panel to
capture more light by tilting in line with the sun throughout the day,
could significantly improve the energy yield of solar cells even without further advancements in the capabilities of the cells themselves. However,
the combined contributions of these recent technologies have not been
fully explored.
To identify the global economic advantages associated with the use of
a variety of paired photovoltaic technologies, Rodri'guez-Gallegos and colleagues first used data from NASA's Clouds and the Earth's Radiant
Energy System (CERES) to measure the total radiation that reaches the
ground each day. The researchers further tailored this data to account
for the influence of the sun's position on the amount of radiation a
solar panel can receive based on its orientation, and then calculated the average net cost of generating electricity through a photovoltaic system throughout its lifetime. They focused on large photovoltaic farms composed
of thousands of modules rather than smaller photovoltaic systems, which generally include higher associated costs per module. The team validated
their model using measured values from experimental setups provided
by three institutes and incorporated additional weather parameters to
perform a worldwide analysis.
The model suggests that double-sided solar panels combined with
single-axis tracking technology is most cost effective almost anywhere
on the planet, although dual-axis trackers -- which follow the sun's path
even more accurately but are more expensive than single-axis trackers --
are a more favorable substitute in latitudes near the poles. But despite
this technology's clear benefits, Rodri'guez-Gallegos does not expect
this style of photovoltaic system to become the new standard overnight.
"The photovoltaics market is traditionally conservative," he says. "More
and more evidence points toward bifacial and tracking technology to be reliable, and we see more and more of it adopted in the field. Still, transitions take time, and time will have to show whether the advantages
we see are attractive enough for installers to make the switch."
While this work considers standard silicon-based solar cells, Rodri'guez- Gallegos and colleagues next plan to analyze the potential of tracking
systems combined with pricey, top-of-the-line solar materials with higher efficiencies (called tandem technologies), which are currently limited
to heavy-duty concentrator photovoltaics and space applications.
"As long as research continues to take place, the manufacturing costs of
these materials are expected to keep on decreasing, and a point in time
might be reached when they become economically competitive and you might
see them on your roof," says Rodri'guez-Gallegos. "We then aim to be a
step ahead of this potential future so that our research can be used as
a guide for scientists, manufacturers, installers, and investors."
========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Cell_Press. Note: Content may be
edited for style and length.
========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Carlos D. Rodri'guez-Gallegos, Haohui Liu, Oktoviano Gandhi,
Jai Prakash
Singh, Vijay Krishnamurthy, Abhishek Kumar, Joshua S. Stein,
Shitao Wang, Li Li, Thomas Reindl, Ian Marius Peters. Global
Techno-Economic Performance of Bifacial and Tracking Photovoltaic
Systems. Joule, 2020; DOI: 10.1016/j.joule.2020.05.005 ==========================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200603132543.htm https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200603132543.htm
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