POW 3 PART 1: Research and Calculations

You will complete all your work in this document, preferably with a partner (1 other person). Use non-bold text to
answer the questions. Insert diagrams and excel graphs where indicated. Have fun learning about solar panels
and applying what you know about trig/mathematics!
PROBLEM: What is the optimal combination of azimuth and tilt to maximize solar gain (kWh per year) from a 5kW
photovoltaic system in La Plata County, Colorado?
RESEARCH (10 pts)
Do some research on photovoltaic systems using the NREL site and other sites as indicated. List your sources.
Define/explain the following terms: You may directly quote the NREL site, but please indicate this in your definitions, i.e.
What are
photovoltaic cells
(i.e. solar panel
cells)? Briefly
describe how they
work.

SOURCE FOR
ABOVE INFO:

a photovoltaic cell is a specialized semiconductor diode that converts visible light into direct
current

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=what
%20are%20photovoltaic%20cells

What is NREL?

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

What is the
PVWatts Calculator
by NREL? What
does it do?
SOURCE FOR
NREL INFO:

a basic solar modeling tool that calculates hourly or monthly PV energy production based on
minimal inputs
http://pvwatts.nrel.gov/pvwatts.php

Define/explain the different SYSTEM INFO settings for the PVWatts Calculator (1-5 sentences for each, use
more if needed and include diagrams if needed):
System Size

DC system size power rating of the photovoltaic array in kilowatts at standard test conditions.
Modeling any size of array from residential rooftop systems to large ground-mounted power

systems. Default PV system size is 4kW. System size can be estimated based on the are
available for the array.
size (kW) = model nameplate size (W) x number of models / 1,000 W/kW
Module Type

The model type describes the photovoltaic models in an array. The default model type can be
used if there is no information available for the system or the nominal model efficiency, cell
material, and temperature coefficient.

Array Type

Array types describe whether the PV modules in the array are fixed or whether they move to
track the movement of the sun across the sky with one or two axes of rotation. The default value
is fixed, or no tracking.

System Losses

The system losses account for performance losses you would expect in a real system that are not
explicitly calculated.

System Loss
Categories (List)

soiling - 2
shading - 3
snow - 0
mismatch - 2
wiring - 2
connections - 0.5
light-induced degradation - 1.5
nameplate rating - 1
age - 0
availability - 3

Tilt * MOST
IMPORTANT!

The angle from horizontal of the photovoltaic modules in the array. By default the tilt angle sets
the angle at 20 degrees for a fixed system. For arrays with one-axis tracking, the tilt angle is the
angle from horizontal of the tracking axis. The tilt angle does not apply to arrays with two-axis
tracking.

Azimuth What is
it? Hows it relate
to true North?
*MOST
IMPORTANT!

The azimuth angle is the angle clockwise from true north describing the direction that the array
faces. An azimuth angle of 180 is for a south-facing array, and an azimuth angle of zero degrees
is for a north-facing array. The star is the point of interest, the reference plane is the horizon of
the surface of the sea and the reference vector points north.

DC to AC Size
Ratio

1.1 so that the arrays DC nameplate size at STC is 1.1 times the inverters AC size.

Inverter Efficiency

By efficiency, we are really saying, what percentage of the power that goes into the inverter comes out as usable AC
current (nothing is ever 100% efficient, there will always be some losses in the system). This efficiency figure will vary
according to how much power is being used at the time, with the efficiency generally being greater when more power is
used.

SYSTEM PARAMETERS TO INPUT:

DC System Size (kW): 5
Module Type: Standard
Array Type: Fixed Roof Mount
System Losses (%): 18
*We will vary Tilt and Azimuth below and look at how this affects kWh per year output from the PV system by graphing the
results we find.*
PLAYING WITH TILT (10 pts)
Step 1: Choose an azimuth to test: 45o, 90o, 180o, 225o, 270o, 315o
Which azimuth did you choose: _____45 degrees__________
Step 2: Vary the tilt of the solar panels according to the chart below and record the power output per year in

the table below.

YOU MUST CALCULATE THE TILT USING TRIG. Explain your steps to determine the tilt given the pitch below,
INCLUDE A DIAGRAM.
The steps we took to determine the tilt given the pitch below was to do the inverse of tangent. We took our calculators and
did 2nd tangent -1 then divided roof pitch as rise over run. This gave us our tilt in degrees.
2nd tan-1(3/12) = 14.0
Roof pitch as
rise/run

Tilt (degrees)

kWh per year output

for a given azimuth

3/12

14.0

6,473

4/12

18.4

6,251

5/12

22.6

6,048

6/12

26.6

5,871

7/12

30.3

5,726

8/12

33.7

5,610

9/12

36.9

5,520

10/12

39.9

5,454

11/12

42.5

5,408

12/12

45.0

5,378

Step 3: Graph the kWh per year output (y-axis) versus Tilt (x-axis) using Excel. Label your axes and scales. Use
a line graph to plot. Insert graph below.

Step 4: Answer this question. Based on this graph, what is the optimal tilt (max kWh per year) for this azimuth?
The optimal tilt for this azimuth is 14 degrees which creates the maximum kWh per year.
PLAYING WITH AZIMUTH (10 pts)
Step 1: Choose a tilt to test from the table above.
Tilt Kept Constant at: ___________14____
Step 2: Vary the tilt of the solar panels according to the chart below and record the power output per year in the
table below.
Azimuth

kWh per year output

for a given azimuth

4,247

45

6,473

90

7,291

135

7,902

180

8,060

225

7,719

270

7,027

315

6,273

Step 3: Graph the kWh per year output (y-axis) versus Azimuth (x-axis) using Excel. Label your axes and scales.
Use a line graph to plot. Insert graph below.

Step 4: Answer this question. Based on this graph, what is the optimal azimuth (max kWh per year) for this tilt?
Based on this graph the best is 180 for this set tilt which gets the maximum kWh per year.
CONCLUSIONS: Based on the above calculations, what do you think the optimal combination of azimuth and tilt
is for optimizing kWh per year output from a 5kW PV system in La Plata County? How can you test this?
180 & 3/12
Based on the above calculations the optimal combination of azimuth and tilt for getting the best kWh per year in La Plata
County is 180 azimuth and a 14 degree tilt. One way this could be tested is to have an adjustable system that can be
moved around the roof and tilted in different directions. Another way this could be tested is by testing two different roofs
with identical systems that are tilted or positioned differently.