GRD Journals- Global Research and Development Journal for Engineering | Volume 5 | Issue 4 | March 2020

ISSN: 2455-5703

A Review on Role and Quality of Module

Mounting Structure of Solar PV Power Plants
Installed in India
Bablu Manna S. Chattopadhyay
Research Scholar Research Co-coordinator
Department of Mechanical Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering
Chandradeep Solar Research Institute Chandradeep Solar Research Institute

Abstract
India has kept a target of installing 100GW capacity by 2022 and the present installed capacity as on December 31, 2019 is
33.730GW. Half of these installed Power Plants are Ground Mounted by nature. The life of Solar PV Module is 25 years so that
should also be the life of Module Mounting Structures (MMS) to hold the Solar PV Modules for 25 long years. India is a vast
country and much of it’s areas are considered as Seismic Zones of different Grades. It is important to be sure about the performance
of MMS during installation of the Solar Power Plants in both Seismic and Non-Seismic Zones to avoid any damages. This paper
reviews the work that has been done on this issue and also gives ideas about the proper protection that to be taken to protect the
power plants.
Keywords- Solar Power plant, JNNSSM, MMS, Seismic Zone

I. INTRODUCTION
There is a remote chance of the improvement of Indian environment, since the use of conventional coal power plant, aviation &
use of fossil fuel in automobile will be increasing in couple of years to meet Some Trillion Dollar Economic Target. Global
warming & Climate change have become important buzzwords worldwide. To increase the use of indigenous renewable resources
is expected to reduce India’s dependency on expensive imported fossil fuels to energy security of the nation renewable energy is
the need of the hour [6]. Renewable energy is becoming increasingly cost effective, competitive to fossil fuel based generations,
like the prices of solar modules have declined by almost 80% since National Solar Mission 2008 [5]. Though the need to turn
towards more sustainable renewable & green space of energy is increasing, the change is not happening at a fast enough space.
Day by day we experience natural calamity, devastation & disaster with in very short period of time. Cyclone in coastal areas &
earthquakes in most of the areas in north eastern & northern part of the country is quite often which comes under very severe
seismic zones like III, IV & V[1], [2].

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 A Review on Role and Quality of Module Mounting Structure of Solar PV Power Plants Installed in India
(GRDJE/ Volume 5 / Issue 4 / 002)

The Govt of India has set an ambitious target of reaching 175GW of clean energy generation by March 2022[5]. According
to the research in June 2018, renewable auctioned capacity has also increased by 68% since 2017 & clean energy investment,
mostly related to solar power projects, and added up to $ 7.4 billion in the first half of 2018. Last year India was at 5th position,
but it climbed 3 spots & reached 2nd position. There is an eight fold increase in India’s renewable capacity [15]. Since 2014 to
2018-19 from Rewa Ultra Mega Solar limited ( M.P ) Seismic zone III 750 MW solar power plant, Kumuthi Solar park Tamilnadu
Seismic zone III 648MW capacity solar power plant, Kurnool Ultra Mega Solar Park Seismic zone III 1000MW capacity solar
power plant, Shakti Sthala, Pavagada Karnataka Seismic zone III 2000 MW capacity solar power plant. India’s renewable energy
resources & solar power plant capacity has increased from 2.2GW to 22GW. More over Bhadla Solar Park in Rajasthan Seismic
zone III is being constructed with a capacity of 2255 MW & is expected to complete by the end of December 2018 [8][3]. Over
11GW of projects were awarded through auctions in 2017 resulting best year for solar capacity as installations jumped by 90%
over the year. Govt target of installing 20 GW of solar power plant by 2022 was achieve 4 years ahead of schedule in June 2018
through solar park as well as roof top solar panels [5]. Few days back our PM was also awarded with “UN Champion of Earth”
Award for his bold environmental leadership on the global stage [10]
India is home to an extraordinary variety of climatic regions, ranging from tropical in the south to temperature & alpine
in the Himalayan north where elevated regions receive sustained winter snowfall. The nation’s climate is strongly influenced by
the Himalayas & the Thar Desert. Based on the factors influencing climate Temperature, Humidity, Precipitation, Sky condition,
solar radiation, Wind & vegetation depends. India is divided into six climatic zones…..
The object of this paper is to suggest the quality of the M.M.S which can resist in earth quacks intensity shakings & a
structural system that will resist the vertical & lateral loads, also to design the protection measure for the M.M.S, because minimum
thought has been applied for the M.M.S in almost every solar power plant in India.

II. LITERATURE REVIEW

S. No. Authors Subject Observation
1. Mr. sindhala Raju, Seismic base isolation of The main purpose of this work is to make comparison between the
Dr. Chenna Rajaram. multistory building. fixed base building and various base isolation buildings. The
various isolation systems such as friction isolators, rubber
isolators, triple concave (T/C) friction isolators. A base isolation
building, displacement is less, when compared to without base
isolation building. For fixed base building displacements vary
significantly from bottom to top storey. But for base isolation
building displacements are nearly same from bottom to top.
2. T. Subramani, J.Jothi Earthquake Analysis of This paper presents an overview of the present state of base
& M. Kavitha. Structure by Base isolation techniques with special emphasis and a brief on other
Isolation Technique in techniques developed world over for mitigating earthquake forces
SAP. on the structures. The present study has been concentrated on a
typical plan for the 8 story buildings, Their performance of base
isolator is best than fixed based building, it can be used for
general purposes or initial cost of structure increases
tremendously. But safety it should be providing at such as
hospitals, police station, & public places etc.
3. Dodda Harika, DV Earthquake analysis of The aim of this research is to study the seismic behavior of
Bhavani & N.Siva structural by isolation different structures under fixed condition and base isolated
Prasad Rao technique in E tabs. condition. In present study Modeling and analysis of G+5 storey
RC building is done in ETBS software for two cases. The first one
is fixed base and the second one is base isolated.
4. Satish Kumar Yadav Variation in the In this paper, the Performance of a 5kVA photovoltaic power
& Usha Bajpai Performance of Solar plant installed at the Centre of Excellence in Renewable Energy
Photovoltaic Power Plant Education and Research, University of Lucknow (New Campus)
Due to Climatic is calculated on the basis of the collected data of two reference
Parameters in Composite modules. The data analysis shows that some climatic parameters
Climatic Zone. degrade the performance of solar photovoltaic power plants like
dust, temperature and humidity and some put positive effect on
the output power of modules like rain.
5. Press Information Seismic Zones. Earthquake - prone areas of the country have been identified on
Bureau the basis of scientific inputs relating to seismicity, earthquakes
occurred in the past and tectonic setup of the region. Based on
these inputs, Bureau of Indian Standards [IS 1893 (Part I):2002],
has grouped the country into four seismic zones, viz. Zone II, III,
IV and V. Of these, Zone V is seismically the most active region,
while zone II is the least.

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 A Review on Role and Quality of Module Mounting Structure of Solar PV Power Plants Installed in India
(GRDJE/ Volume 5 / Issue 4 / 002)

6. Ashwini kumar, kapil Renewable Energy in Renewable energy sources & technologies have potentials to
kumar, naresh India – Current status & provide solutions to the long standing energy problems being
kaushik, satyawati future potentials. faced by the developing countries. The renewable sources like
Sharma & saroj wind, solar, geothermal, ocean, bio mass & fuel cell technology
mishra. can be used to overcome energy shortage in India.
Energy security, economic growth & environmental protection
are the national energy policy derives of any country of the world.
The need to boost the efforts for further development & promotion
of renewable energy sources has been felt world over in light of
high prices of crude oil.
7 Sindhala Raju, Dr. Seismic Base Isolation of Seismic base isolation is a technique that has been reducing the
Chenna Rajaram. Multi-Storey Building. damaging effects and structural collapse during an earthquake.
The main purpose of this work is to make comparison between the
fixed base building and various base isolation buildings.
8 T. Subramani , J. Earthquake Analysis of This paper presents an overview of the present state of base
Jothi , M. Kavitha Structure by Base isolation techniques with special emphasis and a brief on other
Isolation Technique in techniques developed world over for mitigating earthquake forces
SAP. on the structures. The dynamic analysis procedure for isolated
structures is briefly explained.
9. Dodda Harika, DV Earth quake analysis of The aim of this research is to study the seismic behavior of
Bhavani and N Siva structure by isolation different structures under fixed condition and base isolated
Prasad Rao technique in E-Tabs. condition. In present study Modeling and analysis of G+5 storey
RC building is done in ETBS software for two cases. The first one
is fixed base and the second one is base isolated.
10. Jennifer burner & V. Recent climate & air India’s agricultural sector is responsible for the consumption by
Rananathan pollution impacts on over 18% of overall national electricity usage. However its
Indian agriculture. contribution to the GDP in just over 5%. The discrepancy has
been prevalent since the 1970’s when green revolution was on.
The solution however is not to curtail the power access to the
agricultural sector, as it employs a large part of the population &
is a key role in India’s growth engine day time.
11 J. M. Eidinger1 D. Seismic and Wind Design This paper examines the economics and pros and cons of
Pratt2 F. Nikman3 1 for Solar Panels constructing solar panel systems atop several water reservoirs
President,G&E that also require seismic upgrades.
Engineering Systems
Inc., Olympic Val.
12 Reshmi singh Non-destructive in-situ The primary object of the paper is to non destructive performance
performance monitoring monitoring of test modules under various shading configurations
of high-efficiency SPV of evaluate the impact of the partial shading on the thermal stress
modules using infrared of the solar modules. In this paper, an overview has been provided
thermography in on the uses of different approaches of infrared thermography for
composite climate of India monitoring, detection & characterization of different field aged
solar modules. A comprehensive evaluation of the thermal &
electrical effects caused by the partial shading has been carried
out for four different solar photovoltaic module technologies.
13 C.V.R. Murty, Rupen Introduction to This book is an attempt to put together available literature on
Goswami Earthquake Protection of earthquake protection of NSEs and present the same in five
A.R.Vijayanarayana Non-Structural Elements relatively independent chapters in a simple way to first time
n R. Pradeep Kumar in Buildings. readers of the subject. Overall earthquake performance of a
Vipul V. Mehta. building largely depends first on the earthquake performance of
SEs, and then on that of NSEs.
14 Down to earth India witnesses fastest Investments in the energy sector in India have seen the highest
& Pratha Jhawar energy investment growth. growth in the world, according to 4th Annual World Energy
Investment (WEI) report by the International Energy Agency
(IEA) published on May 14, 2019. The investments grew at a
record 12 per cent during 2015 to 2018, to around $85 billion. In
2018, India was the fourth-largest destination for power sector
investment. The report highlights that for three straight years,
spending in renewable sector exceeded that for fossil fuel-based
power, due to government schemes supporting solar PV and wind,
while there has been uncertain financial attractiveness for new
coal power.
15 Rachit S, Vinod KG. Solar Power – Current This paper provides an overview on solar energy in India. It
Status, Challenges and reviews the current status of solar energy in terms of existing
Policies in India. capacity, along with historical trends of solar energy. The paper
also focuses on the technical and economical barriers and

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 A Review on Role and Quality of Module Mounting Structure of Solar PV Power Plants Installed in India
(GRDJE/ Volume 5 / Issue 4 / 002)

challenges for development and utilization of solar energy

16 Ivan Popovic, Methodology for detection
of photovoltaic systems
underperformance
operation based on the
correlation of irradiance
estimates of neighboring
systems
technology. The paper reviews existing government act and
regulatory policies to support solar energy development in India.
The methodology for the detection of under-performance
operation of neighboring photovoltaic systems is presented. The
methodology compares the estimations of the total horizontal
solar irradiance obtained from a group of photovoltaic systems.

17 Prayas & India’s journey towards
Ashwin Gambhir, 175 GW renewables by
Rohil Jethmalani, 2022.
Jatin Sarode, Nikita
Das, Shantanu Dixit.
18 Philippe Gueguen Experimental analysis of
the seismic response of
one base-isolation
building according to
different levels of shaking:
example of the Martinique
earthquake (2007/11/29)
Mw 7.3
19. M. R. Kolhe, Dr. P. Environmental and Social
G. Khot issues related to Coal and
Role of Renewable Energy
Sources in India.
India’s official renewable energy target now stands at an
ambitious 175 GW by 2022 (PTI, 2015). While the bulk of this
capacity would comprise of solar and wind power (100 and 60
GW respectively), the remaining 15 GW would be made up of
biomass power (10 GW) and small hydropower (5 GW).
Renewable energy and energy efficiency are also an important
part of India’s commitment to achieving the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs) during 2016-2030.
This paper aims to analyse its response to seismic stress. The
building was equipped with permanent network of two
accelerometric stations in 2005. The data from this network
enable us to understand its operation and to observe any changes
in behaviour before and after the main shock.
In this attempt has been made to study the merits/demerits of
available energy sources and to find the scope of renewable
energy sources. Solar energy has the greatest potential of all the
sources of renewable energy.

III. RESULT AND DISCUSSION

After reviewed various journal/article/documents, I have seen that, module mounting structure could also be responsible for the
damage of the solar power plant because minimum quality standard is maintained when it comes to module mounting structure.

1) Problem in Site Selection

As we mentioned "Orientation & Positioning of solar module" about the optimum tilt angle and orientation of solar module.
However not all the roof has adequate space to install the power plant at the south orientation (for sites in northern hemisphere)
and inclination equal to tilt angle. Site selection includes selection of parameters such as orientation, inclination, simulating nearby
shading effects to name a few. The utility scale power plant (as they are installed on huge open land) has fewer problems as
compared to Rooftop power plants.

2) Problems in Design Considerations

The designing of the solar PV plant is worked out in a way that it simulates the real field conditions. While there has been a lot of
development and improvement in the design of power plant, there still seems to be few problems associated with it. Attributed to
varying climatic conditions and unexpected losses in the plant, the expected energy output from plants (after it has operated few
years) cannot be simulated with 100% accuracy. The next most important consideration is of Module Mounting Structure (MMS).
There are ample designs based on different technology and/or material available in the market. It hence becomes important to
select the particular MMS based on detailed calculations, ground/ roof type, etc. However there are evident examples that due to
improper considerations or inadequate design/material usage (to make more money) the plant eradicates from ground/roof causing
irreversible damage to the plant.

3) Physical Installation of Solar PV Plant

One of the most important and highly ignored common problems while installing the power plant is the difference in tilt angle
and/or orientation of solar modules. While this may/may not be evident is new power plants, few aged power plants is the place
where we can find such defect. This is because the MMS due to various reasons such as wind loads, module load may have bent.
This causes a change in tilt and sometimes orientation of the modules (in comparison to its adjacent module). Such change would
lead to difference in power production between module and/or shading of surrounding (other) module leading to generation of
hotspot and reduced power output after some times.

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 A Review on Role and Quality of Module Mounting Structure of Solar PV Power Plants Installed in India
(GRDJE/ Volume 5 / Issue 4 / 002)

IV. CONCLUSION
The basic concepts in earthquake resistant design for module mounting structures regarding behavior of module mounting
structures under the action of lateral loads specially during earthquake, since most of the parts of the country in Indian subcontinent
are vulnerable to major earthquakes. For a module mounting structures to perform satisfactorily during earthquakes it must meet
the philosophy of earthquake resistance design like characteristics of material used it should follow seismic design, bye-laws code
material, seismic structural configuration, lateral stiffness, ductility. The module mounting structures should be able to with stand
this imposed deformation with damage under small intensity shaking & no collapse under high intensity shaking. Adopt a structural
system that will resist the vertical & lateral loads offering direct load paths in both plan directions of the winds.

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