Energy performance analysis of tracking floating photovoltaic systems

Recent Advances in Floating Photovoltaic Systems

In recent years, floating photovoltaic (FPV) technologies have gained more importance as a key source of clean energy, particularly in the context of providing sustainable energy to buildings. The rise of land scarcity and the need to reduce carbon emissions have made FPV systems a cost-effective solution for generating electricity. This review article aims to explore the rapidly growing trend of floating PV systems, which can be a practical solution for regions with limited land areas. The article discusses the structure of the PV modules used in FPV plants and key factors that affect site suitability choice. Moreover, the article presents various techniques for cooling and cleaning FPV to keep optimal performance and discusses feasible trends and prospects for the technology. Finally, this paper proposes the potential integration of FPV systems with other technologies to enhance energy generation efficiency and discusses other research aimed at the advancement of the technology. By examining the various features of FPV systems, this review article contributes to understanding the advantages and challenges associated with using this sustainable energy technology in different regional contexts.

An effective QUATRE algorithm based on reorganized mechanism and its application for parameter estimation in improved photovoltaic module

The traditional parameter estimation methods for photovoltaic (PV) module are strictly limited by the reference standards. On the basis of the double diode model (DDM), this paper proposes a modified PV module that is independent of the reference conditions and can be used for the transformation and reconfiguration of PV module. With respect to the issue of the slow convergence precision and the tendency to trap in the local extremum of the QUATRE algorithm, this research incorporates the QUATRE algorithm with recombination mechanism (RQUATRE) to tackle the problem of parameter estimation for the improved PV modules described above. Simulation data show that the RQUATRE wins 29, 29, 21, 17 and 15 times with the FMO, PIO, QUATRE, PSO and GWO algorithms on the CEC2017 test suite. In addition, in a modified PV module for the parameter extraction problem, the final experimental results achieved a value of 2.99 × 10^-3 at RMSE, all better than the accuracy values of the compared algorithms. In the fitting process of IAE, the final values are also all less than 10%, which can satisfy the fitting needs.

Techno-economic assessment of power generation potential from floating solar photovoltaic systems in Bangladesh

Floating Solar Photovoltaic (FPV) plants, also known as floatovoltaic plants are showing great potential in the renewable energy sector all around the world. They can contribute to the national grid and provide support to the existing hydropower plants. Moreover, they positively impact the environment by reducing evaporation and improving aquatic lives simultaneously. Despite a decade of research, there has been no study on the technical potential of FPV plants on a riverine country like Bangladesh. In Bangladesh, there are several water infrastructures to accommodate FPV plants. In addition, a considerable amount of solar irradiation is available throughout the year because of the country's geographical location, making FPVs a significantly viable option for generating electricity. To this end, this study provides the first technical potential and economic feasibility assessment of some of the important water bodies of Bangladesh. The technical potential study is performed with the help of solar PVGIS and focuses on the contribution these plants can make to the national grid. The economic viability assessment simulations are done in System Advisory Model (SAM). Moreover, a thorough comparison between FPVs and inland solar plants is also conducted. The results show that after the installation, even with a conservative approach, FPV plants will be able to meet 1.1% of the demand of the capital Dhaka, the city with one of the highest population densities. In addition, FPV installation at Kaptai lake, which already has an existing hydropower plant, can meet up to 7% of the demand of the port city Chattogram. Moreover, economic parameters NPV, IRR and LCOE all indicate the projects are profitable and can be deployed in large-scale. This study will open doors to further research into the FPV potential of Bangladesh and help implement FPVs to meet the renewable energy goals of the country.

Performance analysis of innovative cleaning and soiling mitigation solutions in the semi-arid climate of Benguerir Morocco

The objective of this paper is to evaluate the performance of the hydrophobic coatings and detergent cleaning & antistatic protection for photovoltaic solar panels in semi-arid weather conditions in Benguerir Morocco. Various coating and cleaning strategies were tested on five photovoltaic (PV) systems with the same PV panels and electrical configurations. The first PV system (uncleaned) was not subject to any coatings or cleaning solutions. The second PV system (Water Cleaned) was periodically cleaned with raw water. The third PV system: solar wash protects (SWP) made use of a cleaning solution. The fourth:D solar defender (DSS) and fifth: industrial glass protect (IGP) PV systems each had a unique combination of the two hydrophobic coatings. The results demonstrated that after 9 months of operation, in the first 3 months (cleaning period) the average efficiency gain of the coated PV panels is around 10% compared to the reference system. Whereas in the non-cleaning period after 6 months of exposure, the efficiency gain is around 5%. After the outdoor exposure period, the cumulative energy gain of the coated systems compared to the water-cleaned reference reaches an average of 3%. It has been found that the SWP used 50% less water to clean the PV panels than the system cleaned without a cleaning solution, which made the panels harder to clean. The SWP is more successful at dust removal during the dry season (August-February) with low rain rates. However, during the rainy season (March-April), IGP outperformed SWP and DSD, with a small difference in PV performance. This study demonstrates the significance of using new cleaning strategies such as anti-soling coatings in dry areas to enhance the performance of photovoltaic systems, which may be useful for investors, researchers, and engineers interested in grid-connected photovoltaic and self-cleaning technology.