Solar PV Technologies: A Few Key Issues

Amitabh Verma, Ph.D

Vice President- Technology
Solar Power Business

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Outline
Technology as profitability driver
Importance of meteorological data
Selection of modules for power plants
Pros and cons of thin film modules
Inverter choices for power plants
Module layout options
Concentration photovoltaic
Operation and Maintenance

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Profitability Through Design

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Comparison of Satellite and Ground Based Data

MOS is Model Output Statistics which takes into account

ground based data and satellite data

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How Predictable is Year-To-Year Radiation Data?

Brightening

Dimming

Brightening

Very few weather stations in the world

have 40-50 years radiation data

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Measurement Uncertainty

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Global Horizontal Incidence (GHI) for Jodhpur

MNRE

NASA

Meteonorm

GHI (kWh/m2/day)

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apl

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Months

NASA data is based on Satellite Imaging

Meteonorm is based on Satellite Imaging and weather station

MNRE is based on weather station

NASA was different than MNRE and Meteonorm in ANOVA analysis

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Ambient Temperature for Jodhpur

MNRE 24 h average

MNRE day time average

NASA 24 h average

Meteonorm 24 h average

40

35

Ambient temp. (o C)

30

25

20

15

10

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apl

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Months

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Variation of Plant Output with GHI and Ambient Temp.

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Plant Output per MWp Using Different Weather Data

1720
1700

1709
1694
1678

1680

Energy Output (MWh)

1660
1640
1620
1600

1593

1580
1560
1540
1520
MNRE-24 h

MNRE-Day Temp

NASA

Meteonorm

Weather Data

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Project Return

Project IRR (Pre-tax)

Equity IRR (Pre-tax)

30
26.9

26.4

26

25

20

23.4

18.5

18.7

18.3

IRR (%)

17.2
15

10

0
MNRE-24 h

MNRE-Day Temp

NASA

Meteonorm

Weather data

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10

Uncertainty in Yield Calculation

Parameters

% Uncertainties

Year-to-Year climate variability

4%

Solar resource estimation in the

horizontal plane

5%

Radiation in the plane of array

3%

Power rating of modules

3%

Losses due to dirt

2%

Other sources of error

5%

Annual Uncertainty

Remarks

This is due to variation in irradiance and

temperature data

Variability due to manufacturing

The losses in inverter, cable and transformers

have uncertainty

8.4%

Monte Carlo Simulation has to be done to calculate the probabilistic generation value
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11

Schematic of MW Solar Park

Grid

Inverters

AC Switch

Step up
Transformer

AC Ckt Breaker

Sensor

AC Panel

Data Monitoring
Combiner box with string monitoring ,
DC switch and Surge Protector

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Power Socket

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12

Total Loss Pareto

7.00%

6.00%

5.00%

4.00%

3.00%

2.00%

1.00%

0.00%

Series1

Near
IAM
Non-STC
Shading
Factor on Operatio
on
Global
n
Global
1.60%

1.90%

6.10%

Soiling

3.00%

DC Array Module
Inverter
Data
MV
HV
DC Cable Inverter
Inverter
AC Cable
Variabilit Mismatc
Limitatio
Acquisiti Transfor
Transfor
Loss Efficiency
Cooling
Loss
y
h
n
on & Aux mers
mer
2.00%

1.50%

1.00%

1.62%

0.09%

0.41%

0.12%

1.06%

1.00%

0.47%

Total loss to the tune of 22%

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Effect of Temperature on the Output

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Crystalline or Thin Film Module

Temp. Coeff.

Module
Efficiency (%)

Tolerance

Relative Module
Price

Mono-crystalline Silicon

-0.41%/0C

14-20

3%

1.1

Multi-crystalline silicon

-0.46%/0C

13-18

3%

1.0

Cadmium Telluride Thin

Film

-0.30%/0C

10-11

5%

0.90

Micromorph Silicon

-0.25%/0 C

6-7

5%

0.75

Amorphous Silicon Thin

Film (Single Junction)

-0.18%/0 C

5-6

5%

0.70

Module Type

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Increasing
Area

15

I-V Characteristic of Modules

Cd-Te
Module

Multi-crystalline Module

Mono-crystalline Module

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Amorphous Silicon Module

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16

Visual Identification of Different Modules

Mono-Crystalline

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Multi-Crystalline

Amorphous Si

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Cadmium Telluride

17

5 MWp Plant Design with Different Modules

Module
Wattage
(Wp)

No. of
Modules

No. of
Modules in
series

No. of
Strings

Total Module
Area

Annual
Energy
(kWh)

Excess
Energy
Compared
to Multicrystalline Si

SunPower

210

23184

18

1323

29627

8847762

0.88%

77.7

MonoCrystalline
silicon

210

23805

15

1587

39629

8806077

0.40%

77.4

23805

23

1035

38025

8770840

77.1

Module Type

MultiCrystalline
Silicon

210

PR

Cd-Te

80

62946

6944

44997

8954308

2.1%

78.7

Micromorph
Silicon

445

11235

3745

64264

9033976

3.0%

79.4

Location: Rajasthan and Central Inverter. All other parameters being same

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Miscellaneous Considerations for Module Selection

Degradation rate

Reliability

Area available

O&M cost

Bankability

Installation cost

BoS cost such as structure,
cable and string monitor

As per a study by Sandia lab
the module replacement rate
for crystalline module is 0.05%
and for thin films approx. 1%

Degradation
Rate (%/Year)

Exposure Year

Mono-crystalline
Silicon

0.30

Multi-Crystalline
Silicon

0.5

0.7-1.4

7-12

0.70

10

Module Type

Amorphous
Silicon
Cd-Te

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Around 65% of Non-Module Costs Scale with Module Efficiency

35%

100%
(Rs.40/Wp)

Halving efficiency
increases non-module
costs by 65% and
module costs must
decrease
correspondingly to
maintain
competitiveness on a
systems level

65%

Efficiency
dependent
nonmodule
costs

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Efficiency
independent
non-module
costs

Total nonmodule
cost

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20

Thin Film Vs Crystalline Silicon

Nominal module
efficiency (%)

c-Si reference
module

Micromorph Si thin
film module

Yield at
Rajasthan
(kWh/kWp)

12.8%

7.8%

Normalized module
efficiency (%)

1762

1807

12.8%

8.0%

Taking into account Rajasthan irradiation and

temperature statistics, the normalized efficiency
of a micromorph thin film module is 8% vs.
12.8.0% for a c-Si module
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Entitlement of Thin Film Module Cost Taking

Crystalline Silicon System Cost as Reference

26x(12.8/8.0)

Rs.120/Wp

Rs.14/Wp
Rs.41.6/Wp

Rs.64.4/Wp

Total systems
cost

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Efficiency
independent
non-module
costs

Efficiency
dependent nonmodule costs

Thin film module shall be

20% cheaper than
Crystalline silicon module
so as to meet the system
level cost.

Deduced thin
film Si module
price

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22

Choice of Inverters
Inverter CTQs

Maximize efficiency and performance

Maximize reliability and durability

Leverage scale of mass produced AC components

Easy to install

Special training not required for installation

Less risk/hazard

+ A large number of power point

trackers improve the yield
+ High DC system voltage range
and Three phase is now possible
in string inverters.
+ Reduced losses in both AC and
DC cable and hence higher output
+ Dispense with junction box
+ Less skilled manpower needed
+ Inverters can be placed among the
modules
+ No string monitor is needed

Central Inverter
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+ Inverter integrated with

module
+ Module level MPPT
+ Module level monitoring
is possible
+ DC cabling not required
+ More modular
-More expensive at present
- Bankability?

String Inverter
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Micro-inverter

23

Comparison of Central and String for 1 MWp Plant

Central

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String

Less Inverters of High

Capacity

More Inverters of Less

capacity

For 1 MW:
2 No of 500kVA each

For 1 MW:
91 No of 11kVA each

++ Standard
composite Unit of
Inverter,
Transformer Station,
Switchgears as a
package including
Communications

++ Separate Units
as Inverters, AC
Combiner Boxes,
Communication
Cables, Transformer
Station, Switchgears

++ Easy
for Planning and
Installation

- - Complex
and a lot of
engineering reqd.

++ Easy
to Maintain due to less
components

++ Easy
to Maintain due to
higher reliability

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24

Layout of Central Inverter Plant of 1 MWp

Module Power: 180 Wp
26 modules per string
8 strings per combiner box
8 contacts per string monitor,

28 x SMA string-monitor
7 8 per Main Box

2 x SMA DC main box

2 per Inverter

Inverter
500 HE-11

Inverter
500 HE-11

Transfer
Station

SMA concrete
station 1000 MV
including 2 inverters
including transformer

Transformer 1000 MVA

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Layout of String Inverter 1 MWp Plant

1 String is 20 modules
3 strings per inverter

...
96 x SMC 11000TL

2 x SMA Web box

AC Combiners

AC Combiners

Transfer
Station

AC Combiners for Phase

Balancing, Transformer
Station

Transformer 1000 MVA

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Module Mounting Configuration

Landscape

Portrait

Which is Preferred?

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Implications
Landscape layout

Portrait layout

Shadow or Snow

Shadow or Snow

One string bypassed

Both strings
bypassed
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Concentration PV (CPV)

Salient Features of CPV

Concentration 500x

Dual axis tracking

Uses direct radiation

High efficiency III-V cells

Positives

Higher energy harvesting because of
Tracking
Lower temp. coeff. (-0.16%/deg. C)

Negatives

Not a static system

Reliability?

Bankability

Cost

Area efficiency

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Frequency of Outages and Impact on Energy Loss

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O & M Cost (Fixed Crystalline Si as Reference)

Relative Cost

O&M Activity

Fixed Crystalline
Si as the
benchmark

Cd-Te

Amorphous Si

Single Axis
Tracked
Crystalline Si

Schedule
maintenance
and cleaning

1.2

1.4

1.5

Unscheduled
maintenance

2.5

Inverter
Maintenance

Civil structure
and ground
maintenance

1.5

1.5

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Summary

Generation over life time, capital cost and O&M are critical for economic
viability of project
Design of Solar Power Plant is key to profitability
Solar installation has to last for 25 years and negligence in component
selection and design may hurt in future
Meteorological data are not accurately known nor can be predicted
with high certainty. Probabilistic approach to yield calculation is more prudent.
One size does not fit all or a single design is not optimally suited for all
locations. An optimum solution for each location has to be designed.

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