IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/renene/v228y2024ics0960148124007195.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Distributed manufacturing for distributed generation: 3-D printed solar photovoltaic module mounting mechanisms for wood racking

Author

Listed:
  • Jamil, Uzair
  • Sadat, Seyyed Ali
  • Pearce, Joshua M.

Abstract

Solar photovoltaic (PV) wood-based rack designs support distributed manufacturing, have lifetimes equivalent to PV warranties, have lower embodied energy and carbon emissions and cost less than conventional racking. Unfortunately, wood racking does not enable the standard front surface attachments. To overcome this challenge this study introduces novel 3D printed clamps for front-surface PV mounting on wood racking. Four topologies (square spacer, H-shaped spacer, U-shaped clamp and T-shaped clamp) of 3D printed parts are designed, modeled and analyzed using finite element analysis (FEA) for PETG, ASA and PC. The designs were fabricated, field tested and economically analyzed. The highest stress was observed in U-shaped spacer for spacer (4.53 MPa – PC material), bolt (32.01 MPa – PETG material) and frame (37.30 MPa) and for washer in the H-spacer (42.77 MPa). Mises stresses for all designs, however, are found within allowable limits qualifying the clamping technique to be adopted for future installations. Financial analysis of the clamps found up to 66 % savings for the solutions. The T-shaped clamp is the recommended mounting technique with the lowest stresses while square spacer provides the least cost. The practical implications of the results indicate that 3D printing could provide an economic means of mounting PV modules and reducing solar energy costs.

Suggested Citation

  • Jamil, Uzair & Sadat, Seyyed Ali & Pearce, Joshua M., 2024. "Distributed manufacturing for distributed generation: 3-D printed solar photovoltaic module mounting mechanisms for wood racking," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 228(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:228:y:2024:i:c:s0960148124007195
    DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2024.120651
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960148124007195
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.renene.2024.120651?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ed Sells & Sebastien Bailard & Zach Smith & Adrian Bowyer & Vik Olliver, 2009. "RepRap: The Replicating Rapid Prototyper: Maximizing Customizability by Breeding the Means of Production," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Frank T Piller & Mitchell M Tseng (ed.), Handbook of Research in Mass Customization and Personalization (In 2 Volumes), chapter 28, pages 568-580, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    2. B. T. Wittbrodt & J.M. Pearce, 2015. "Total U.S. cost evaluation of low-weight tension-based photovoltaic flat-roof mounted racking," Post-Print hal-02119670, HAL.
    3. Dinesh, Harshavardhan & Pearce, Joshua M., 2016. "The potential of agrivoltaic systems," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 299-308.
    4. Crago, Christine L. & Koegler, Eric, 2018. "Drivers of growth in commercial-scale solar PV capacity," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 481-491.
    5. Branker, K. & Pathak, M.J.M. & Pearce, J.M., 2011. "A review of solar photovoltaic levelized cost of electricity," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 15(9), pages 4470-4482.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Chelsea Schelly & Don Lee & Elise Matz & Joshua M. Pearce, 2021. "Applying a Relationally and Socially Embedded Decision Framework to Solar Photovoltaic Adoption: A Conceptual Exploration," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-18, January.
    2. Zbigniew Brodziński & Katarzyna Brodzińska & Mikołaj Szadziun, 2021. "Photovoltaic Farms—Economic Efficiency of Investments in North-East Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-17, April.
    3. Prehoda, Emily W. & Pearce, Joshua M., 2017. "Potential lives saved by replacing coal with solar photovoltaic electricity production in the U.S," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 710-715.
    4. Angel Carreño-Ortega & Emilio Galdeano-Gómez & Juan Carlos Pérez-Mesa & María Del Carmen Galera-Quiles, 2017. "Policy and Environmental Implications of Photovoltaic Systems in Farming in Southeast Spain: Can Greenhouses Reduce the Greenhouse Effect?," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-24, May.
    5. Kim, Byungil & Kim, Changyoon & Han, SangUk & Bae, JuHyun & Jung, Jaehoon, 2020. "Is it a good time to develop commercial photovoltaic systems on farmland? An American-style option with crop price risk," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 125(C).
    6. Plain, N. & Hingray, B. & Mathy, S., 2019. "Accounting for low solar resource days to size 100% solar microgrids power systems in Africa," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 448-458.
    7. Arnaud de La Tour & Matthieu Glachant & Yann Ménière, 2013. "What cost for photovoltaic modules in 2020? Lessons from experience curve models," Working Papers hal-00805668, HAL.
    8. Abolhosseini, Shahrouz & Heshmati, Almas & Altmann, Jörn, 2014. "A Review of Renewable Energy Supply and Energy Efficiency Technologies," IZA Discussion Papers 8145, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    9. Zimmerman, Ryan & Panda, Anurag & Bulović, Vladimir, 2020. "Techno-economic assessment and deployment strategies for vertically-mounted photovoltaic panels," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 276(C).
    10. Sahoo, Somadutta & Zuidema, Christian & van Stralen, Joost N.P. & Sijm, Jos & Faaij, André, 2022. "Detailed spatial analysis of renewables’ potential and heat: A study of Groningen Province in the northern Netherlands," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 318(C).
    11. Spiros Papaefthimiou, Manolis Souliotis, and Kostas Andriosopoulos, 2016. "Grid parity of solar energy: imminent fact or future's fiction," The Energy Journal, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Bollino-M).
    12. Hao Cai & Ling Liang & Jing Tang & Qianxian Wang & Lihong Wei & Jiaping Xie, 2019. "An Empirical Study on the Efficiency and Influencing Factors of the Photovoltaic Industry in China and an Analysis of Its Influencing Factors," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-22, November.
    13. Ohijeagbon, O.D. & Ajayi, Oluseyi O., 2015. "Solar regime and LVOE of PV embedded generation systems in Nigeria," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 226-235.
    14. Colombo, Emanuela & Rocco, Matteo V. & Toro, Claudia & Sciubba, Enrico, 2015. "An exergy-based approach to the joint economic and environmental impact assessment of possible photovoltaic scenarios: A case study at a regional level in Italy," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 318(C), pages 64-74.
    15. Rômulo de Oliveira Azevêdo & Paulo Rotela Junior & Luiz Célio Souza Rocha & Gianfranco Chicco & Giancarlo Aquila & Rogério Santana Peruchi, 2020. "Identification and Analysis of Impact Factors on the Economic Feasibility of Photovoltaic Energy Investments," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-40, September.
    16. Marco Rogna, 2019. "A First-Phase Screening Device for Site Selection of Large-Scale Solar Plants with an Application to Italy," BEMPS - Bozen Economics & Management Paper Series BEMPS57, Faculty of Economics and Management at the Free University of Bozen.
    17. Gorjian, Shiva & Bousi, Erion & Özdemir, Özal Emre & Trommsdorff, Max & Kumar, Nallapaneni Manoj & Anand, Abhishek & Kant, Karunesh & Chopra, Shauhrat S., 2022. "Progress and challenges of crop production and electricity generation in agrivoltaic systems using semi-transparent photovoltaic technology," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    18. Biondi, Tommaso & Moretto, Michele, 2015. "Solar Grid Parity dynamics in Italy: A real option approach," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 293-302.
    19. Dixon, Christopher & Reynolds, Steve & Rodley, David, 2016. "Micro/small wind turbine power control for electrolysis applications," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 87(P1), pages 182-192.
    20. Aditya Rachman & Usman Rianse & Mustarum Musaruddin & Kurniati Ornam, 2015. "Technical, Economical and Environmental Assessments of the Solar Photovoltaic Technology in Southeast Sulawesi, a Developing Province in Eastern Indonesia," International Journal of Energy Economics and Policy, Econjournals, vol. 5(4), pages 918-925.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:renene:v:228:y:2024:i:c:s0960148124007195. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/renewable-energy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.