Our software facilitates the planning of large photovoltaic power plants.
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Efficient Design of Solar Parks: Solutions For Your Power Supply
We support the planning of an optimal PV system through
The application in the agricultural sector (agri-PV) and the use of modules on both sides (bifaciality) is also becoming increasingly important
The relevance of the topic is obvious, as the energy transition requires a switch to renewable energies in order to replace fossil fuels and keep energy prices low. Large solar parks play an important role in this, but they only contribute to a stable power supply in conjunction with storage systems.
The planning of such power plants is very complex. Due to the large number of degrees of freedom in the selection, placement and dimensioning of the various components, it is almost impossible to determine the best possible system manually.
In collaboration with GOLDBECK SOLAR, we have therefore been developing planning software for several years that solves this complex problem using multi-criteria optimization techniques and generates a large number of optimal PV systems. In order to evaluate and compare these, the expected electricity produced by the power plants is determined using a yield simulation for real weather data. In addition, various marketing strategies including arbitrage - the targeted exploitation of price differences - can be compared on the electricity exchange or through PPAs (Power Purchase Agreements). Using financial evaluations such as LCOE (Levelized Cost of Energy) or NPV (Net Present Value), the user can identify the most efficient plants from a financial point of view.
The automated processes we have developed have drastically reduced the planning effort for GOLDBECK SOLAR.
The development of the electricity price is crucial when considering the return on an investment in a PV power plant. We are therefore developing approaches to counter the unavoidable forecast uncertainty with suitable methods of robust optimization. If areas are used for photovoltaics and agricultural production, especially for fruit and vegetable cultivation, further questions arise. The additional shading can protect against heat, but can also have a negative impact on the yield and quality of the harvest. We are therefore working on models to calculate the incidence of light on the ground and thus enable a balance to be struck between agricultural yield and electricity production.
Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM