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posted by Fnord666 on Monday November 12 2018, @03:29PM   Printer-friendly
from the solar-is-a-hot-topic dept.

Submitted via IRC for Bytram

Solar power: largest study to date discovers 25 percent power loss across UK

Researchers at the University of Huddersfield have undertaken the largest study to date into the effectiveness of solar panels across the UK and discovered that parts of the country are suffering an overall power loss of up to 25% because of the issue of regional 'hot spots'. Hot spots were also found to be more prevalent in the North of England than in the south.

Dr Mahmoud Dhimish, a lecturer in Electronics and Control Engineering and co-director of the Photovoltaics Laboratory at the University, analysed 2,580 polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) panels distributed across the UK. The UK has been fossil-free for two years and demand is constantly increasing for renewable energy.

After quantifying the data, Dr Dhimish discovered that the panels found to have hot spots generated a power output notably less than those that didn't. He also discovered that location was a primary contributor in the distribution of hot spots.

Photovoltaics hot spots are areas of elevated temperature which can affect only part of the solar panel. They are a result of a localised decrease in efficiency and the main cause of accelerated PV ageing, often causing permanent damage to the solar panel's lifetime performance.

According to Dr Dhimish, this is the first time an investigation into how hot spots impact the performance of PV panels has been conducted from such a large scale dataset and says the project uncovered results which demonstrate the preferred location of UK hot spots.

"This research showed the unprecedented density of hot spots in the North of England," said Dr Dhimish. "Over 90% of the hot spots are located in the north and most of these are inland, with considerably less seen on the coast."


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  • (Score: 5, Informative) by ledow on Monday November 12 2018, @04:09PM (2 children)

    by ledow (5567) on Monday November 12 2018, @04:09PM (#760944) Homepage

    "The UK has been fossil-free for two years and demand is constantly increasing for renewable energy."

    Well... I don't think so...

    http://gridwatch.co.uk/ [gridwatch.co.uk]

    It lives updates, so the numbers will change when we hit peak load but - CCGT* and coal are still there... some 20+% collectively. Only 30.78 % shows as renewable.

    (CCGT : Combined Cycle Gas Turbine - These use Natural Gas to power a Turbine which turns a Generator. A second system uses the heat to produce steam which is used to turn a turbine which powers a generator. There are 33 CCGT power stations in the UK.)

    Given that one of the opening sentences is demonstrably bollocks, I don't think I need go much further.

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  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 13 2018, @05:58AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 13 2018, @05:58AM (#761168)

    Yeah, that sentence is odd. Who knows what's gibberish and what not in the article. I'm always surprised how cloudy places like England, Germany, and Massachusetts get carried away with solar. Why not focus on an energy source that won't cut out for weeks at a time.

  • (Score: 2) by donkeyhotay on Tuesday November 13 2018, @05:02PM

    by donkeyhotay (2540) on Tuesday November 13 2018, @05:02PM (#761371)

    I thought that sentence sounded fishy myself. Thanks for the additional information.