Measuring Solar Insolation and Estimating PV Potential

Estimating Solar Insolation Measuring insolation Telecom model Summary
Lecture 2 - The Solar Resource
Alan P. Morrison
September 6, 2019
Alan P. Morrison
Lecture 2 - The Solar Resource 1 / 18
Table of contents
1 Estimating Solar Insolation
2 Measuring insolation
3 Telecom model
4 Summary
Alan P. Morrison
Estimating solar insolation
Need to understand insolation properties of a site to design an

effective PV system
PV designers often need estimates of the insolation expected
to fall on arbitrarily tilted surfaces
Monthly average daily insolation values are usually sufficient
Characteristic days near the middle of each month are often
used to define average monthly values
I Better to have realtime measurement!
Alan P. Morrison
Estimating solar insolation
Separated direct and diffuse values are required for estimation

of the effects of module tilt.
Preferably these are separately measured, if not they must be
estimated from global values.
There are three key problems:
1 Evaluating the global radiation on a horizontal surface
2 Evaluating direct and diffuse components from the global
values
3 Estimating these components for a tilted plane from the
horizontal values
Alan P. Morrison
Measuring terrestrial global radiation
Different instruments available for measuring global, direct

and diffuse radiation:
I Heliograph
I solar cells themselves
I Pyrometers
I Pyrheliometers
I Pyranometer
Where possible site specific data should be obtained.
Alan P. Morrison
Heliograph
A sunshine recorder consisting of a glass sphere mounted

concentrically in a section of a spherical bowl. Sun’s rays are
focused sharply on a card held in grooves in the bowl for measuring
sunshine duration.
Alan P. Morrison
Pyrometer
The device can be used to measure very high temperatures without

direct contact with the hot source.
Alan P. Morrison
Pyrheliometer
www.volker-quaschning.de
A pyrheliometer measures the sun’s direct irradiance. It is mounted

on a two-axis tracker to follow the sun throughout the day.
Alan P. Morrison
Pyranometer
The sun heats up a black absorber plate under the glass dome of
the pyranometer. The temperature difference to the ambient is
proportional to the global irradiance.
Alan P. Morrison
Pyranometer with shadow band
If a pyranometer is shaded with a shadowband, it measures the

diffuse irradiance.
Alan P. Morrison
Averaged data
Peak sun hours - power density integrated throughout the day

converted into an equivalent number of hours at solar noon
intensity
Sunshine hours (SSH) - number of daily hours of sunlight
above ∼210 W/m2 for a given period (usually 1 month);
applies only to direct component. Difficult to convert to
useable form.
Typical meteorological year (TMY) - A full year of data
combined from individual months, selected as typical from
historical record.
Alan P. Morrison
Averaged data
Satellite cloud cover - estimates of percentages of cloudy and

sunny weather
Aside
Diffuse component assumed as 10% of insolation on a sunny day
and 20% of insolation on a cloudy day.
Alan P. Morrison
Telecom model
Approximation of direct and diffuse light components

Equate the total monthly insolation with the total insolation
theoretically calculated for an appropriate number of sunny and
cloudy days.
Sunny days - Intensity of direct component determined using:

0.678
I = 1.3661 × 0.7AM kW/m2 (1)
where I is the intensity of the direct component of sunlight incident

on a plane perpendicular to the sun’s rays and the air mass (AM)
values are a function of latitude, time of the year and time of day.
Increase by 10% to account for the diffuse component.
Alan P. Morrison
Telecom model
Cloudy days - all incident light is assumed diffuse. Intensity is

typically 20% of value calculated using Eqn. 1.
Assume the known average global insolation data can be
represented by the sum of an appropriate number of sunny
days, allows both the direct and diffuse components to be
determined as above.
Geometrically we can account for tilted surfaces by projecting
the sun’s rays from the horizontal to the tilted surface and
assuming that all diffuse radiation is independent of tilt angle.
Alan P. Morrison
Some observations
From our brief discussion of the solar resource we can conclude:

The maximum available power density on the earth’s surface
is ∼1000 W/m2
I Depends on geographic location, time of year, time of day,
cloud cover, environmental shading
I For 100% efficient solar cells we would require an area in
excess of 1000 m2 to generate 1 MW of electricity
I Renewables are as much about economics as they are about
engineering
I Available sunlight is not constant e.g. summer vs. winter,
night vs. day.
I Energy storage is going to be important.
How do we make PV cost effective?
How do we design a useful PV system, given solar constraints?
Alan P. Morrison
Some observations
How do we maximize the conversion efficiency of sunlight to

electricity?
I Choice of materials?
I Better optics?
I Use heat instead of light?
How do we minimize system cost?
I Choice of materials?
I Better manufacturing processes?
I Give PV systems secondary and tertiary purposes?
Where do we get good localized insolation data?
Alan P. Morrison
Advantages/Disadvantages of PV
Advantages of PV Disadvantages of PV
Fuel source essentially infinite Fuel source is relatively low density
No hazardous emissions
Low operating costs (no fuel) High installation (capital) costs
No moving parts (except CPV!)
Ambient temperature operation
High reliability of flat plate modules (> 20 years) Poorer reliability of auxiliary elements
Modular installation
Quick installation
Easily integrated in existing infrastructure Lack of widespread commercial installation
Daily output peak may match local demand Lack of economical efficient energy storage
High public acceptance
Excellent safety record
Alan P. Morrison
Insolation data
Data available from multiple sources:

I http://sunbird.jrc.it/pvgis/solrad/index.htm
I http://www.satel-light.com/core.htm
Alan P. Morrison

Measuring Solar Insolation and Estimating PV Potential

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Estimating Solar Insolation Measuring insolation Telecom model Summary

Lecture 2 - The Solar Resource

1 Estimating Solar Insolation

Estimating solar insolation

Need to understand insolation properties of a site to design an

Estimating solar insolation

Separated direct and diffuse values are required for estimation

Measuring terrestrial global radiation

Different instruments available for measuring global, direct

A sunshine recorder consisting of a glass sphere mounted

The device can be used to measure very high temperatures without

A pyrheliometer measures the sun’s direct irradiance. It is mounted

Pyranometer with shadow band

If a pyranometer is shaded with a shadowband, it measures the

Peak sun hours - power density integrated throughout the day

Satellite cloud cover - estimates of percentages of cloudy and

Approximation of direct and diffuse light components

Sunny days - Intensity of direct component determined using:

where I is the intensity of the direct component of sunlight incident

Cloudy days - all incident light is assumed diffuse. Intensity is

From our brief discussion of the solar resource we can conclude:

How do we maximize the conversion efficiency of sunlight to

Data available from multiple sources:

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