Simulation of tracking PV installations with PVsyst

9th PVPMC Workshop

5-6.12.2017 Weihai, China

André Mermoud, Bruno Wittmer

Bruno.Wittmer@pvsyst .com

PVSYST SA - Route du Bois-de-Bay 107 - 1242 Satigny - Suisse

www.pvsyst.com
 Overview
• Introduction
– Benefits of tracking
– Modeling Trackers in PVsyst
• Simulation results
– Optimizing Tracking Parameters
– Single and Dual Axis Tracking
– Impact of Latitude
– Impact of Climate
– Shadings (Row Spacing)
– Backtracking
– Stroke Limits
• Outlook
– Bifacial Tracking

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 Benefits of Trackers
Examples of tracking simulations
Average daily production for an entire year Average daily production for an entire year
Alamos, Mexico Geneva, Switzerland
Latitude 15° Latitude 46.3°
Altitude 23m Altitude 418m
Meteonorm 7.1 Meteonorm 7.1

The absolute
production is higher
The production
peak is flatter!

Tracking Gain depends on many parameters

Tracking gains from 10% - 50%,

Latitude Climate depending on tracking strategy, location,
climate and shadings (Ground Covering Ratio)
Tracking
strategy
Backtracking
Shadings (stroke limits)

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 Tracking Strategies in PVsyst
Most common Tracker Types
Horizontal axis Dual Axis Vertical Axis

3D drawings for shadings

Other tracking strategies in PVsyst:

• Tilted Axis
To get a correct simulation of the
• Frames
shading losses, a 3D model of the PV
• Sun shields
installation is necessary
• Horizontal EW-axis
• Unlimited trackers

Tracking algorithms in PVsyst

minimize the Incidence Angle

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 Tracker modeling in PVsyst
Shadings
• Direct
Subject to near shadings depending on sun position
• Diffuse
Subject to shading factor that is constant for a given plane orientation
For trackers it changes with the plane orientation
• Albedo
Subject to shading factor that is constant for a given plane orientation
For trackers it changes with the plane orientation

Backtracking
Backtracking algorithm avoids beam shadings
Diffuse and albedo shadings are still present!
Large installations => Albedo almost invisible

Backtracking in PVsyst is available for all tracker types except vertical axis.
Two-axis algorithms apply backtracking only in one of the two directions.

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 15°N Clear Sky
Vertical axis tracking
Optimization of Plane Tilt
Global PoA Irradiance as function of plane tilt
Definition of Plane Tilt

Alamos, Mexico
Latitude 15°N
No shadings

Best Plane Tilt depends on latitude, climate and shadings

Site Sevilla Alamos Kunming Xiamen Hotan Quingdao Linfen

Latitude 37.4°N 15°N 24°N 24°N 36.5°N 36.5°N 36.4°N

MN 7.1 :
Climate data Clear Sky MN 7.1 MN 7.1 MN 7.1 MN 7.1 MN 7.1 MN 7.1 MN 7.1
Meteonorm 7.1
synthetic hourly values
Ground Coverage 10% 30% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10%
based on average monthly data
Best plane tilt 55° 52° 45° 42° 42° 39° 49° 45° 47°

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 15°N Clear Sky
Single and Dual Axis Tracking

Beam Irradiance Diffuse Sky Irradiance

Tracker gain
mainly from
direct light

Albedo Irradiance All three components together

No shadings!
Direct
Diffuse

Albedo

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 Clear Sky
Impact of latitude

No mutual shadings
considered in these plots!

Plane tilt optimized for

fixed tilt and vertical axis

Horizontal axis
performs better
close to equator

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 36.5°N
Impact of climate

Dependence on diffuse ratio

Same latitude (36.5°N)

PoA Irradiance kWh/m2 GCR = 0.4

Fixed Tilt Horiz. Axis Dual Axis Vert. Axis

Diffuse/Global ratio

Site Alamos Albuquerque Weihai Geneva Kunming Xiamen Hotan Quingdao Linfen Ejin Qi
Latitude 15°N 35°N 37.5°N 46°N 24°N 24°N 36.5°N 36.5°N 36.4°N 42°N
Diffuse/Global 43% 27% 53% 48% 49% 59% 40% 56% 48% 28%

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 15°N / 46.3°N

Pitch and shading

Ground Covering Ratio (GCR) = PV Module surface / PV installation surface

Optimize best fixed tilt as function of GCR

Impact of shadings on best tilt for vertical axis trackers
GCR = 40%

15°N 46.3°N

No shadings With shadings

10% difference Best Tilt: 46° Best Tilt: 36°
4% difference

Tracker effective PoA as function of GCR

15°N 43.4°N

Tracking installations are much more sensitive to GCR (pitch) than fixed tilt installations.
Horizontal axis is less sensitive to dense packing.

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 Backtracking
Sun high in the sky:
Trackers point to sun

Sun low in the sky:

Trackers move back,
to avoid shadings

Backtracking does not increase the Irradiance reaching the PV modules

It reduces electrical shading losses

Example: Horizontal Axis

Backtracking PoA Effective Electrical Injected Energy Performance

Irradiance Irradiance Shading loss [kWh] Ratio
[W/m2] [W/m2] [kWh]
No 3665.7 3374.2 60.7 1304.2 0.684

Yes 3430.6 3327.5 0 1339.2 0.751

Difference -6.4% -1.4% -100% +2.7% +6.7%

Orientation No direct Performance Ratio

Shadings and shadings!
Reflection (IAM) is not a suitable
metric

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 Stroke limits
Stroke limit for different tracker types

Distribution of tracker tilt without/with backtracking

Horizontal axis Tracker

lower limit backtracking

upper limit Reduced tilt range no backtracking
stroke

Tracker Tilt [°]

Impact of stroke limits on yield
Alamos, Mexico
Latitude 15° Large plateau
Meteonorm 7.1
GCR=40%
Horizontal axis
Increasing tracker stroke limits
does not always increase yield!

Backtracking
range

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 Bifacial tracking
2-dimensional approach for long rows
PVsyst ‘Unlimited Sheds’ model
for long rows with fixed tilt

2-dimensional model

neglects border effects of the rows

Unlimited trackers: Bifacial tracking

Bifacial model first step towards
for fixed tilt sheds for horizontal axis
horizontal bifacial tracking model close to publishing
available (since V6.6.0) (since V6.6.7)

+ =

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 Summary and Outlook
• The benefits coming from tracking depend on many factors
– Tracking strategy (horizontal axis, vertical axis, dual axis)
– Latitude and climate
– Tracker layout (tracker distance, axis tilt, stroke limits)
– Backtracking strategy
• PVsyst allows a detailed simulation and analysis
– Simulation of different tracking strategies with detailed loss diagram
– Output of hourly intermediate results in CSV files for custom analysis
– Multiple simulations and parametric scans for parameter optimization
• Some general behaviors were presented
• Modelling of trackers in PVsyst continues to evolve
– Tracking with bifacial PV modules
– Two-axis backtracking in all directions

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