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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."
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday November 12 2018, @07:32PM
hmmm .. from the top of my head hot spots might come from unbalanced solar panels in a string.
As seen on straight-from-factory boxes, each module was tested and voltage and max Amps vary for each module,
even if they're the same model and size.
the modules get dirty; thank you you noisy flying rat.
if the modules are installed side by side (portrait or landscape, whatever) on a roof, maybe without a gap in between
because it saves a screw, then the air flow for the middle module will be the least?
as mentioned, modules in a string (connected in series to a central inverter) that are shaded regularly will draw down
the whole setup and "holding up" the energy from the un-shaded modules in the string and could lead to heating of
the shaded module and further degradation until the by-pass diode is triggered permanently?
the 2 x 1 m size of modules might not be optimal: the frame of a module is aluminium and can conduct heat good, whilst
glass is not a good conductor?
adding more "frame" by making the modules smaller in relation to the amount of glass will increase the cost but help with cooling?
moving from a "central (string) inverter" to individual micro inverter per module will cost more too, but increases overall
output because each and every module, dirty or clean, shaded or not, gets its own MPPT (maximum power tracker).
however the micro inverters normally live underneath the solar panels and generate heat themselves, whilst the "central
string inverter" can be in a room and/or away from the solar modules?
coastal areas also have salty-winds... salt is good at fermenting pretty much anything, including copper and aluminium?