1

Student’s Name
School
Course Code
Course Title
Instructor’s Name
Due Date
 2

a) Weather data, solar panel hourly output and other data are provided for 31 May.
You should graphically present, analyze, evaluate the collected data, and provide
recommendations regarding battery management approach.
Table containing data for Powerwall output and home usage for 31 May
Table 1
Powerwall output home usage
4.7 8.2

Hourly graph of the data in the table 1 above.

Graph 1

HOURLY USAGE
9
8
7
Home usage(kwh)

6
5 HOURLY USAGE
4 Linear (HOURLY
3 USAGE)
2
1
0
4 5 6 7 8 9 10

powerwall output(kwh)

Graph 1 above shows the Powerwall output and the hourly usage of the house.
My recommendation is that the solar panels power is matched with the power output of the

battery for compatibility during installation (Boxwell, 2010). The watts of the solar panels

should be almost the same with the battery output.

b) Based on average monthly irradiation data, estimate annual solar panel electricity

production.
 3

The formula used to estimate the annual solar panel electric production is E = A x r x H x

PR; where A is the area, E is the energy, H is annual average solar radiation on tilted panels, PR

is performance ratio (default value is 0.75), and r is the yield

E =1.68 x 0.199 x 1000 x 0.75 =250.74 kwh

The cumulative output is given by:

OUTPUT AT STC IN WATT ACCUMULATED OUTPUT IN WATT

320 320
325 645
330 975
335 1310
340 1650
CUMULATIVE OUTPUT 1650 W

c) Based on the nominal panel efficiency and other details given in the datasheet,

calculate annual output over the useful life of the panel, as well as the cumulative

output.

The annual output of the panels is found by multiplying Average hours of sunlight by solar

panel watts and by 75%, which is the performance ratio.

5 x 335 x 0.75 = 1.256 kwh

d) Analyze the return on investment and wider financial implications of living lab

based on the total cost of components and installation of £17602.12.

 4

The return of investment will be determined by the final value of this investment. For the

investment to show promise in the open market, the final value must be higher than the initial

amount of investment. The wider financial implication of the return on investments is that it will

determine the profitability of the stock investment and evaluate the results of the transactions.

e) Based on the characteristic’s curves in the data sheet, analyze MPP across the year

using average monthly irradiation data. Consider given temperature coefficients

and discuss how high cell temperatures affect the output

The data sheet graph indicates that for lower resistive loads, the operating point will move

continually towards the maximum power point (MPP) of each curve as the radiation intensity

grows. For increasing resistive loads, on the other hand, the operating point will initially shift

towards the MPP and subsequently away from the MPP of each curve.

The cell's ambient temperature at STC is 25 0 C, whereas it's ambient temperature at NOCT

is 20 0 C. When the temperature is risen, the efficiency of the solar panel falls, implying that the

higher cell temperature limits the output of the solar panels.

f) Discuss environmental effects associated with this solar energy installation

solar energy has both positive and negative effects on the environment, some of the

negative effects include:

1) Land use

Solar panels on a large scale take up a lot of space, which might lead to habitat loss and

pollution. Solar farms that cover a large amount of land are likely to have a significant impact on

the ecology and wildlife in the region, particularly birds. Solar farms may have an impact on the
 5

growth of nearby vegetation. Unlike wind energy, solar panels cannot share land with other uses.

Solar panels for domestic use on a small scale do not need a lot of land (Boxwell, 2010). On a

larger scale, however, the sheer size of the required area for the panels to generate energy is a

challenge. Furthermore, many people believe that utility-scale solar panels degrade the

appearance of the areas around them (Jha, 2013).

2) Toxic Chemicals

The photovoltaic manufacturing process involves harmful toxins such as: 1,1,1-

trichloroethane, acetone, Hydrochloric acid, hydrogen fluoride, nitric acid, and Sulfuric acid. If

manufacturers don’t carefully adhere by the requirements, these compounds may cause

significant medical concerns, particularly to the production staff.

3) Recycling

The ultimate result of the solar panel cannot be recycled since it’s comprised of silicon.

Although the recycling of the solar panel incases it breaks has not been an issue, it will be a

concern in the approaching years since most people are moving to solar panels because they are

affordable and dependable in places with sunshine.

4) Water use

Using solar photovoltaic panels to generate energy is a water-intensive process. Even

though solar cells do not require water to create energy, the manufacturing process needs the use

of water. So, while the energy producing process does not require water, the water of solar

panels does (Boxwell, 2010). Power production accounts for a large share of total daily

freshwater withdrawals in some nations. Even if part of this water may be reused, an oversupply

of solar panels created in one region may impose a burden on local water supplies.
 6

Some of the positive effects include:

1) Reducing greenhouse effect

Using solar energy instead of fossil fuels to create electricity would dramatically cut

greenhouse gas emissions, notably carbon dioxide (CO2). Greenhouse gases created by the

combustion of fossil fuels contribute to increasing global temperatures and climate change.

2) Reducing air pollution

The character of the surroundings may either support or impair our health and well-being.

Electricity generated from fossil fuels may cause detrimental methane emissions, and carbon

dioxide, affecting the quality of the air we breathe (Boxwell, 2010). Breathing low-quality air on

a daily basis might be detrimental to our health. Lung cancer and other serious respiratory

problems may be induced by air pollution.

 7

References

Boxwell, M. (2010, January 1). A simple,practical guide to solar energy-designing and installing

photovoltaic solar systems. Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Solar-Electricity-

Handbook-2010-Photovoltaic/dp/0935754784

Jha, S. K. (2013). Application of Solar Photovoltaic System in Oman – Overview of Technology,

Opportunities and Challenges. International Journal of Renewable Energy Research, 3(2),

331–340. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/ijrer/issue/16079/168241