IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v12y2019i23p4528-d291732.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Why PV Modules Should Preferably No Longer Be Oriented to the South in the Near Future

Author

Listed:
  • Riyad Mubarak

    (Institute for Meteorology and Climatology, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Herrenhäuser Straße 2, 30419 Hannover, Germany)

  • Eduardo Weide Luiz

    (Institute for Meteorology and Climatology, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Herrenhäuser Straße 2, 30419 Hannover, Germany)

  • Gunther Seckmeyer

    (Institute for Meteorology and Climatology, Leibniz Universität Hannover, Herrenhäuser Straße 2, 30419 Hannover, Germany)

Abstract

PV modules tilted and oriented toward east and west directions gain gradually more importance as an alternative to the presently-preferred south (north in the Southern Hemisphere) orientation and it is shown to become economically superior even under the reimbursement of feed-in tariff (FIT). This is a consequence of the increasing spread between the decreasing costs of self-consumed solar power and the costs for power from the grid. One-minute values of irradiance were measured by silicon sensors at different orientations and tilt angles in Hannover (Germany) over three years. We show that south-oriented collectors give the highest electrical power during the day, whereas combinations of east and west orientations (E-W) result in the highest self-consumption rate (SC), and combinations of southeast and southwest (SE-SW) orientations result in the highest degree of autarky (AD), although they reduce the yearly PV Power by 5–6%. Moreover, the economic analysis of PV systems without FIT shows that the SE-SW and E-W combinations have the lowest electricity cost and they are more beneficial in terms of internal rate of return (IRR), compared to the S orientation at the same tilt. For PV systems with FIT, the S orientation presently provides the highest transfer of money from the supplier. However, as a consequence of the continuing decline of FIT, the economic advantage of S orientation is decreasing. E-W and SE-SW orientations are more beneficial for the owner as soon as FIT decreases to 7 Ct/kWh. East and west orientations of PV modules do not only have benefits for the individual owner but avoid high costs for storing energy—regardless who would own the storage facilities—and by avoiding high noon peaks of solar energy production during sunny periods, which would become an increasing problem for the grid if more solar power is installed. Furthermore, two types of commonly used PV software (PVSOL and PVsyst) were used to simulate the system performance. The comparison with measurements showed that both PV software underestimate SC and AD for all studied orientations, leading to the conclusion that improvements are necessary in modelling.

Suggested Citation

  • Riyad Mubarak & Eduardo Weide Luiz & Gunther Seckmeyer, 2019. "Why PV Modules Should Preferably No Longer Be Oriented to the South in the Near Future," Energies, MDPI, vol. 12(23), pages 1-16, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:23:p:4528-:d:291732
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/23/4528/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/23/4528/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lave, Matthew & Kleissl, Jan, 2011. "Optimum fixed orientations and benefits of tracking for capturing solar radiation in the continental United States," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(3), pages 1145-1152.
    2. Martin Hofmann & Gunther Seckmeyer, 2017. "Influence of Various Irradiance Models and Their Combination on Simulation Results of Photovoltaic Systems," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-24, September.
    3. Bakirci, Kadir, 2012. "General models for optimum tilt angles of solar panels: Turkey case study," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 16(8), pages 6149-6159.
    4. Martin Hofmann & Gunther Seckmeyer, 2017. "A New Model for Estimating the Diffuse Fraction of Solar Irradiance for Photovoltaic System Simulations," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-21, February.
    5. Pereira da Silva, Patrícia & Dantas, Guilherme & Pereira, Guillermo Ivan & Câmara, Lorrane & De Castro, Nivalde J., 2019. "Photovoltaic distributed generation – An international review on diffusion, support policies, and electricity sector regulatory adaptation," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 103(C), pages 30-39.
    6. Riyad Mubarak & Martin Hofmann & Stefan Riechelmann & Gunther Seckmeyer, 2017. "Comparison of Modelled and Measured Tilted Solar Irradiance for Photovoltaic Applications," Energies, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-18, October.
    7. Hartner, Michael & Ortner, André & Hiesl, Albert & Haas, Reinhard, 2015. "East to west – The optimal tilt angle and orientation of photovoltaic panels from an electricity system perspective," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 94-107.
    8. Ghazi, Sanaz & Ip, Kenneth, 2014. "The effect of weather conditions on the efficiency of PV panels in the southeast of UK," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 50-59.
    9. Tang, Runsheng & Wu, Tong, 2004. "Optimal tilt-angles for solar collectors used in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 79(3), pages 239-248, November.
    10. Bódis, Katalin & Kougias, Ioannis & Jäger-Waldau, Arnulf & Taylor, Nigel & Szabó, Sándor, 2019. "A high-resolution geospatial assessment of the rooftop solar photovoltaic potential in the European Union," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 1-1.
    11. Talavera, D.L. & Nofuentes, G. & Aguilera, J., 2010. "The internal rate of return of photovoltaic grid-connected systems: A comprehensive sensitivity analysis," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(1), pages 101-111.
    12. Beck, T. & Kondziella, H. & Huard, G. & Bruckner, T., 2016. "Assessing the influence of the temporal resolution of electrical load and PV generation profiles on self-consumption and sizing of PV-battery systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 331-342.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Sławomir Zator & Waldemar Skomudek, 2020. "Impact of DSM on Energy Management in a Single-Family House with a Heat Pump and Photovoltaic Installation," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-20, October.
    2. Vladimir Z. Gjorgievski & Nikolas G. Chatzigeorgiou & Venizelos Venizelou & Georgios C. Christoforidis & George E. Georghiou & Grigoris K. Papagiannis, 2020. "Evaluation of Load Matching Indicators in Residential PV Systems-the Case of Cyprus," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(8), pages 1-18, April.
    3. Guglielmina Mutani & Valeria Todeschi, 2021. "Optimization of Costs and Self-Sufficiency for Roof Integrated Photovoltaic Technologies on Residential Buildings," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-25, July.
    4. Meriläinen, Altti & Montonen, Jan-Henri & Hopsu, Jeremias & Kosonen, Antti & Lindh, Tuomo & Ahola, Jero, 2023. "Power balance control and dimensioning of a hybrid off-grid energy system for a Nordic climate townhouse," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 209(C), pages 310-324.
    5. Dariusz Kurz & Damian Głuchy & Michał Filipiak & Dawid Ostrowski, 2023. "Technical and Economic Analysis of the Use of Electricity Generated by a BIPV System for an Educational Establishment in Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-23, September.
    6. Hakim Azaioud & Jan Desmet & Lieven Vandevelde, 2020. "Benefit Evaluation of PV Orientation for Individual Residential Consumers," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-24, October.
    7. Franz Harke & Philipp Otto, 2023. "Solar Self-Sufficient Households as a Driving Factor for Sustainability Transformation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-20, February.
    8. D. P. N. Nguyen & Johan Lauwaert, 2020. "Calculating the Energy Yield of Si-Based Solar Cells for Belgium and Vietnam Regions at Arbitrary Tilt and Orientation under Actual Weather Conditions," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-17, June.
    9. Riyad Mubarak & Holger Schilke & Gunther Seckmeyer, 2021. "Improving the Irradiance Data Measured by Silicon-Based Sensors," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-19, May.
    10. Sofiane Kichou & Nikolaos Skandalos & Petr Wolf, 2020. "Evaluation of Photovoltaic and Battery Storage Effects on the Load Matching Indicators Based on Real Monitored Data," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-20, May.
    11. Ewelina Krawczak, 2023. "A Comparative Analysis of Measured and Simulated Data of PV Rooftop Installations Located in Poland," Energies, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-17, August.

    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. Chinchilla, Monica & Santos-Martín, David & Carpintero-Rentería, Miguel & Lemon, Scott, 2021. "Worldwide annual optimum tilt angle model for solar collectors and photovoltaic systems in the absence of site meteorological data," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 281(C).
    2. Hafez, A.Z. & Soliman, A. & El-Metwally, K.A. & Ismail, I.M., 2017. "Tilt and azimuth angles in solar energy applications – A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 147-168.
    3. Kafka, Jennifer & Miller, Mark A., 2020. "The dual angle solar harvest (DASH) method: An alternative method for organizing large solar panel arrays that optimizes incident solar energy in conjunction with land use," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 155(C), pages 531-546.
    4. Kaddoura, Tarek O. & Ramli, Makbul A.M. & Al-Turki, Yusuf A., 2016. "On the estimation of the optimum tilt angle of PV panel in Saudi Arabia," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 626-634.
    5. Ullah, Asad & Imran, Hassan & Maqsood, Zaki & Butt, Nauman Zafar, 2019. "Investigation of optimal tilt angles and effects of soiling on PV energy production in Pakistan," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 830-843.
    6. Mohammad H. Naraghi & Ehsan Atefi, 2022. "Optimum Solar Panel Orientation and Performance: A Climatic Data-Driven Metaheuristic Approach," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(2), pages 1-16, January.
    7. Guglielmina Mutani & Valeria Todeschi, 2021. "Optimization of Costs and Self-Sufficiency for Roof Integrated Photovoltaic Technologies on Residential Buildings," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-25, July.
    8. Mohammadi, Kasra & Khorasanizadeh, Hossein, 2015. "A review of solar radiation on vertically mounted solar surfaces and proper azimuth angles in six Iranian major cities," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 504-518.
    9. Manni, Mattia & Jouttijärvi, Sami & Ranta, Samuli & Miettunen, Kati & Lobaccaro, Gabriele, 2024. "Validation of model chains for global tilted irradiance on East-West vertical bifacial photovoltaics at high latitudes," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).
    10. Agrawal, Monika & Chhajed, Priyank & Chowdhury, Amartya, 2022. "Performance analysis of photovoltaic module with reflector: Optimizing orientation with different tilt scenarios," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 186(C), pages 10-25.
    11. Nicolás-Martín, Carolina & Santos-Martín, David & Chinchilla-Sánchez, Mónica & Lemon, Scott, 2020. "A global annual optimum tilt angle model for photovoltaic generation to use in the absence of local meteorological data," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 161(C), pages 722-735.
    12. Sungha Yoon & Jintae Park & Chaeyoung Lee & Sangkwon Kim & Yongho Choi & Soobin Kwak & Hyundong Kim & Junseok Kim, 2023. "Optimal Orientation of Solar Panels for Multi-Apartment Buildings," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-16, February.
    13. Christil Pasion & Torrey Wagner & Clay Koschnick & Steven Schuldt & Jada Williams & Kevin Hallinan, 2020. "Machine Learning Modeling of Horizontal Photovoltaics Using Weather and Location Data," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-14, May.
    14. Gökmen, Nuri & Hu, Weihao & Hou, Peng & Chen, Zhe & Sera, Dezso & Spataru, Sergiu, 2016. "Investigation of wind speed cooling effect on PV panels in windy locations," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 283-290.
    15. Bahrami, Arian & Okoye, Chiemeka Onyeka & Atikol, Ugur, 2016. "The effect of latitude on the performance of different solar trackers in Europe and Africa," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 177(C), pages 896-906.
    16. Ramez Abdallah & Adel Juaidi & Salameh Abdel-Fattah & Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro, 2020. "Estimating the Optimum Tilt Angles for South-Facing Surfaces in Palestine," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-29, February.
    17. Hakim Azaioud & Jan Desmet & Lieven Vandevelde, 2020. "Benefit Evaluation of PV Orientation for Individual Residential Consumers," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-24, October.
    18. Lau, K.Y. & Tan, C.W. & Yatim, A.H.M., 2018. "Effects of ambient temperatures, tilt angles, and orientations on hybrid photovoltaic/diesel systems under equatorial climates," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 81(P2), pages 2625-2636.
    19. Herrera-Romero, J.V. & Colorado-Garrido, D. & Escalante Soberanis, M.A. & Flota-Bañuelos, M., 2020. "Estimation of the optimum tilt angle of solar collectors in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 153(C), pages 615-623.
    20. Ramez Abdallah & Emad Natsheh & Adel Juaidi & Sufyan Samara & Francisco Manzano-Agugliaro, 2020. "A Multi-Level World Comprehensive Neural Network Model for Maximum Annual Solar Irradiation on a Flat Surface," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-31, December.

    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:gam:jeners:v:12:y:2019:i:23:p:4528-:d:291732. 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.