Optimization of solar photovoltaic fields

The design of stationary and single axes tracking collectors in a field consisting of rows of collectors involves relationships between the field and collector parameters and solar radiation data. In addition, shading and masking of adjacent rows affect the collector deployment of the field by decreasing the incident energy on the collector plane. The use of many rows, densely deployed in a given field, increases the field incident energy but also increases the shading. Therefore, there is an optimal deployment of the collectors in the field yielding, for example, maximum energy, minimum required field area, or other objectives. For photovoltaic collectors, the output energy depends on the module efficiency, the solar cell operating temperature, and on the scheme of the electrically interconnected modules. Series interconnection between the photovoltaic modules may have a significant effect on the output energy of the solar plant in event of shading. The present article deals with the optimal design of photovoltaic solar fields for stationary and single axes tracking collectors to obtain maximum annual output energy.