New solar tracker algorithm boosts captured energy on cloudy days
From pv magazine USA
A new solar tracker algorithm developed by PV Hardware USA may increase energy collection during overcast conditions, potentially by up to 20% on some days compared to traditional sun-tracking algorithms.
Traditional solar-tracker technology enables solar panels to generate some electricity in overcast weather, but not enough to hold a light to the sunny days. The Diffuse Control algorithm was designed to minimize motor energy consumption and maximize the captured irradiance during overcast weather.
Diffuse Control determines the optimal panel inclination tilt to capture energy, using real-time weather data gathered from sensors placed around the solar plant. The algorithm can be configured to minimize motor consumption during operation to reduce unnecessary energy use.
According to PV Hardware, what makes Diffuse Control’s technology advanced is its irradiance model’s ability to interpret the level of diffuse irradiance (the solar radiation that comes from the light scattered by the atmosphere). Based in the typical meteorological year, the AI algorithm uses a set of calculations from the global horizontal irradiance (GHI) and the direct horizontal irradiance (DHI) values to evaluate whether the plant will benefit from the Diffuse Control technology.
Most traditional solar tracking uses fix stepping, where the trackers move a fixed number of times gradually and slightly throughout the day. PV Hardware said fix stepping fails to adapt to varying irradiance conditions and can entail many unnecessary movements during overcast weather conditions.
Instead of fix stepping, PV Hardware developed Dynamic Step, an algorithm that analyzes the captured irradiance and updates the setpoint only when the relative energy capture is profitable. This reduces the motor movement, avoiding unnecessary motor movement and energy use.
According to PV Hardware, combining the Dynamic Step algorithm with Diffuse Control reduces motor consumption by 30% compared to conventional sun tracking.
“Using new models of how solar energy is captured, we now understand that measuring environmental irradiances is the best way to calculate a panel’s inclination tilt during inclement weather,” said Oscar Cabrero, the electronics and and control manager of PV Hardware.
PV Hardware analyzed different irradiance models using empirical testing over several months to determine what model is most effective in enhancing energy production in overcast weather. You can read more about the testing’s methods and its results in this whitepaper.
Author: Rachel Metea
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