A TOOL TO OPTIMIZE THE LAYOUT OF GROUND-BASED PV INSTALLATIONS TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE ECONOMIC BOUNDARY CONDITIONS

摘要

Current optimization tools and methods for the layout of large PV installations aim at maximizing the yield or the performance ratio of the installation. Nevertheless, there are situations, where the economical boundary conditions, namely the investment and maintenance costs, the availability of surface and the feed-in tariff have an impact on the optimal design choices. We propose a tool which addresses this problem by finding the ground covering ratio and tilt angle that maximize the economic benefits. Furthermore for feed-in-tanffs that vary with the time of the day, the optimization also includes the azimuthal orientation of the collector plane. The method is intended to support PV installation designers in making optimal design choices from an economical point of view. The problem consists in a multivariable optimization, subject to specific boundary conditions. To solve this problem the relative energy yield of the installation has to be known as function of the design parameters. This is obtained with the help of PV simulation software. The proposed tool then offers comprehensive and synthetic views of the economical and design parameters, providing graphs that allow a quick spotting of the optimal choices. After describing the details of the tool, a few typical scenarios will be discussed as examples.