Performance analysis and economic
assessment of different photovoltaic technologies based on
experimental measurements
a b s t r a c t
The paper deals with extensive monitoring
of photovoltaic
technologies. It was carried out in the last 18 months at the outdoor development center
HEnergia of HERA S.p.A. in Forlì
(Italy). HEnergia has 8 different photovoltaic plants of small size
(under 3 kWp) and they are differentiated by photovoltaic cell technologies (heterojunction with intrinsic thin layer,
polycrystalline, cadmium telluride, amorphous
silicon with microcrystalline silicon, silicon triple-junction cells, multi-junction Gallium Arsenide cells), by solar tracking systems (fixed installation,
mono-axis or dual-axis tracker) and by optic devices (no concentration
device, concentration through Fresnel lens or
Cassegrain optic). Photovoltaic plants are remotely monitored and data on environmental conditions, module
temperature and power production
are continuously acquired and stored by
a PC. Photovoltaic plant performance can thus be measured on-
site
and compared in relation to different
environmental conditions. Moreover,
the impact
of mainte-
nance
activities (as for example the cleaning of photovoltaic modules) on photovoltaic
plant performance
is also assessed. On the basis of experimental data, the paper also shows an economic assessment of photovoltaic plants.
Table 1
PV
plant
main characteristics.
|
|
A
|
B
|
C
|
D
|
E
|
F
|
G
|
H
|
|
Module manufacturer
|
Panasonic
|
CNPV
|
First Solar
|
Sharp
|
CNPV
|
Arima
|
SunFlower
|
GPSIII Solar
|
|
Module model
|
HIT- N240SE10
|
CNPV- 240P
|
FS-382
|
NA- F121
|
CNPV- 240P
|
Eco Energy
|
CPV
|
GPS600
|
|
PV cell technology
|
HIT
|
poli c-Si
|
CdTe
|
a-Si/mc-Si
|
poli c-Si
|
GaAs
|
GaAs
|
GaAs
|
|
Module efficiency at STC [%]
|
19.0%
|
14.7%
|
11.5%
|
8.5%
|
14.7%
|
26.0%
|
28.8%
|
29.0%
|
|
Total power at STC [kW]
|
2.40
|
2.16
|
2.31
|
1.44
|
0.96
|
1.76
|
1.14
|
1.00
|
|
Total modules area [m2]
|
12.61
|
14.73
|
20.16
|
17.06
|
6.55
|
11.01
|
5.21
|
3.75
|
|
Tracking system
|
Fixed
|
Fixed
|
Fixed
|
Fixed
|
Mono axial
|
Bi-axial
|
Bi-axial
|
Mono axial
|
|
Optic device
|
None
|
None
|
None
|
None
|
None
|
Fresnel
|
Fresnel
|
Cassegrain
|
|
Installation
|
Roof
|
Roof
|
Roof
|
Roof
|
Ground
|
Ground
|
Ground
|
Ground
|
This
paper shows the results of
about
18 months of extensive monitoring activities carried out on different PV
technologies at
the HE outdoor development center in
Forlì (Italy). PV plant perfor-
mances were measured and compared in
relation to different
environmental conditions. Moreover,
the impact of maintenance
activities (module
cleaning in particular) on PV plant performances
was also assessed. On the basis of measured performance, the paper assesses the economics
of the PV plants in
locations similar to Forlì
in the case of household installations through LCOE
and NPV
analysis. HIT, poli c-Si and a-Si/mc-Si achieved grid
parity both in
residential and industrial applications. HIT, a-Si/mc-Si and poli c-Si
with solar tracking plants proved to be the most profitable tech- nologies, allowing an NPV of about 3500 V/kWp at year 20 and a pay-back time of 5.5 years for HIT and a-Si/mc-Si and of 6.5 years for poli c-Si with solar tracking, if the Italian
tax deduction of
50% of the initial investment in
ten years is taken into account. If
an in- dustrial application is considered, no tax deduction is
available: in
this
case, a pay-back time of 5 years can
be achieved for the same technologies only
by an initial investment reduction with regard to
household application in the order of 75e80%. Moreover, PV
plant O&M was also monitored: in
particular, PV module cleaning costs
Fig. 9. NPV trend for each PV plants as
a time function. NPV is computed taking into account the
50% tax deduction in
ten
years of the initial investment, except for the dotted curve, which is
computed for plant A (HIT technology) without considering the tax
deduction.
Table 8
Industrial investors: PV plant initial investment which produces a parity
grid LCOE and a 5 year pay-back time.
|
Technology
|
Initial investment ensuring parity grid [V/kWp]
|
Percentage reduction from Table 4
quotation
|
|
Plant A e HIT
|
1810
|
—9.5%
|
|
Plant B - poli c-Si
|
1730
|
—13.5%
|
|
Plant C e CdTe
|
1782
|
—34.0%
|
|
Plant D - a-Si/mc-Si
|
1790
|
—10.5%
|
|
Plant E — poli c-Si with solar tracking 2100 —25.0%
|
||
|
Technology
|
Initial investment ensuring 5 year pay-back time [V/kWp]
|
Percentage reduction
|
|
|
|
from Table 4 quotation
|
|
Plant A e HIT
|
500
|
—75%
|
|
Plant B e poli c-Si
|
400
|
—80%
|
|
Plant C e CdTe
|
621
|
—77%
|
|
Plant D e a-Si/mc-Si
|
500
|
—75%
|
|
Plant E — poli c-Si with solar tracking 560 —80%
|
||
and effect on PV module performances were assessed, leading to significant energy yield reduction over
time only for a-Si/mc-Si technology.
هذا النص الغبي ، غير مقصود لقرائته . وفقا لذلك فمن الصعب معرفة متى وأين نهايته ، لكن حتى . فإن هذا النص الغبي ، ليس مقصود لقرائته . نقطة رجوع لسطر مدونة عرب ويب ترحب بك
تحويل كودإخفاء محول الأكواد الإبتساماتإخفاء