PV Tech Power Papers

Battery technologies | The development of battery storage is seen as vital in the grid integration of increasing amounts of renewable power, but the various technologies present different advantages and limitations. Stephan Lux of Fraunhofer ISE weighs up the pros and cons of the main battery technologies in a range of applications.

Aggregation | Tesla’s much-hyped battery announcement in April raised important questions over what business models will drive the deployment of stationary battery storage. As Andy Colthorpe reports, one answer is the virtual power plant, in which residential and commercial battery systems are aggregated to provide grid services

Plant defects | To ensure profitability in PV power plant investments it is crucial to minimise operation risks in the early stages of project development and during planning, installation and commissioning. Potential performance losses and the economic risks due to failures in plant design, employed components and construction must be considered, as Willi Vaaßen of TÜV Rheinland explains.

Plant inspection | Infrared cameras mounted on drones offer a means of detecting instances of equipment malfunction in PV power plants. Claudia Buerhop-Lutz explains some of the faults such an approach can help reveal.

Aerial monitoring | With PV projects growing larger and fleets more dispersed, new technologies are emerging to assist plant managers look after their assets. Tom Kenning looks at the growing use of solar drones and robots in plant operations.

Performance | Potential-induced degradation (PID) has emerged as an issue of concern in the last decade because of the increase in the deployment of utility-scale high-voltage PV systems. Rubina Singh, Cordula Schmid and Jacqueline Ashmore of the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems CSE present an overview of the mechanisms for PID and the impact of degradation, as well as the factors that contribute to its occurrence. They also discuss techniques for the detection, mitigation and predictive testing of PID.

Irradiance measurement | Pyranometers play a crucial role in gathering irradiance data for PV yield and performance modelling. Ben Willis explores this sometimes-overlooked piece of technology and efforts by researchers to improve our understanding of its characteristics.

An extension and gradual phase out of the investment tax credit would help the US solar industry on to a more sustainable footing in the long term, argues James A. Mueller.

Modelling | First Solar has developed an energy assessment software platform that models the electrical generation of utility-scale PV power plants. This software, called PlantPredict, is an enterprise application that streamlines and fulfils many energy simulation needs throughout the project development life cycle, from the site prospecting, through design and optimisation, and contractual commitments, to power plant monitoring. Bodo Littmann and Alex Panchula of First Solar discuss some unique models required for characterising CdTe power plant performance, and outline the PlantPredict tool’s use throughout the project development phases, with the goal of ultimately lowering the total cost of ownership of PV power plants.

With a volatile energy market and a fast-expanding solar sector, there are plenty of topics for the industry to stay on top of. Intersolar Europe will explore a number of issues aimed at helping the industry find new business opportunities and understand key market trends. PV Tech Power looks at three of these in more detail