The Global Community for Sustainable Energy Professionals
1.5 hours / Central European Time (Brussels, Paris, Berlin)
Walter Hulshorst & Fernando Nuno
This introductory webinar explains how a small-scale photovoltaic system works, what is the most suitable solution in your case and, if it makes sense, how to start planning and building your installation.
After a briefing presentation, a case study will be presented using the RETScreen analysis software.
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/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Tabla normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;}Q: Can
RETScreen be used to optimise a design for a given area and also be used if the
energy policy is based on imports & exports not feed-in tariffs?
A: Yes, you can run as many scenarios as you wish,
then finding the optimal configuration for your particular case. See also the
distance between panels in Annex of presentation. RETScreen provides an
electricity production estimation. From there you can extract your imports and
obtain the net export with the applicable fee.
Q: What
should be the tilt angle for pv ?
Depending on latitude there is an optimal angle, which
is close to latitude value. You should choose your angle depending on what you
need to optimize : winter production, summer production or yearly production. The
software provides the production on monthly basis for the various angles you
try, then you decide which angle maximizes your function.
Q: Have
you considered the effects of performance degradation effects? If so, what are the most important equipment
performance degradation processes?
The most important degradation process is relative to PV
panels: account 1% per year (loss of efficiency). In 20 years (guaranteed
lifespan) the efficiency will be 20% lower. The cause is a loss of properties
in materials (glass transmitivity, PV cells efficiency). Inverter can also
reduce its performance in the time.
Q: Is the
degradation the same for CPV?
www.isfoc.es will
be providing this return of experience in the coming months.
Q: How can
Retsreen program help me in take the decision?
By providing an expected electricity generation and
then an expected return of your investment.
Q: What is
the average cost per watt using photovoltaic system nowadays?
For fixed systems should be around 4-5 €/W and
decreasing.
Q: How
does the ambient temp effect on pv performance?
Account a loss of 0,5% of power per ºC.
Q: PVs
generally have a long payback period, how long would you estimate a panels
lifespan would be before a replacement would be warranted?
Manufacturer’s guarantees currently run up to 20
years. Current feed-in tariffs allow a payback period around 10 years.
Q: A local
installer places panels vertically on the wall of a house. They run cooler and
do not accumulate snow. I'm assuming this works well with a low winter azimuth.
But will the indirect angle in summer significantly reduce energy input?
You can simulate its behaviour using RETScreen module.
Indeed, vertical panels are more optimized for winter generation than for
summer.
Q: What
about a system in which the bracket does allow for a change in angle for the
summer, where the panels block sun from the window (shading the window)?
As RETScreen makes a production estimation on monthly
basis you can run each tilt angle for the corresponding months and determine
the annual generation.
Q: What is
the difference in power output between fixed and Tracking systems?
You can check it by
running RETScreen program. Account for 30% in general, provided you have enough
direct irradiation, otherwise a tracking system makes no sense.
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radiation data from RETScreen are compatable with the data from PVGIS
programme?
A: The PVGIS monthly global solar radiation data could
be used in RETScreen. It could be entered in the site reference
conditions section of the Stat worksheet in the Daily solar radiation -
horizontal column.
Q: Can you
take into account shadowing effects?
A: Solar shading can be taken into account in the
Building envelope form for Energy efficiency projects. It can also be
taken into account for Solar water heater for outdoor swiming pools. If
you want to take solar shading for other technologies, you could incluide it in
the miscellaneous losses as a percentage, or you could reduce the monthly
climate data in the Start worksheet.
Q: How to
proceed for a new project for a buildind to estimate the right area ? Does
RETScreen provide a rule for space between panels?
A: RETScreen does not set a rule, but you can use the
Building envelope properties tool in the Tools worksheet to help. For this kind
of issue please refer to annex in the presentation above.
Q: Is the
manufacturer data up-to-date? Is it kept up-to-date?
A: Yes, it is up-to-date, and we update it regularly.
Q: Is
there a program similar to RetScreen that runs natively on a Mac under OS 10?
A: RETScreen does not work directly on
Macintosh. However, you can use it on a Mac right now if you use the
Parallels software, currently in the Mac OS X and later. We have many users
using this successfully. RETScreen is not simply an Excel file, and in fact has
close to 80,000 lines of code running it. We will look to eventually have a
web-based version of RETScreen which will be platform independent. In the
meantime, you can use Parallels.
Q: Does
prices indicators exists on RETScreen database ?
A: There is a lot information on costs in the
RETScreen user manual. You can find this information in the Cost Analysis
worksheeet section, and in each individual technologies sections.
Q: Do you
know of any RETScreen Users discussion Group?
A: Not that we know of.
Q: Can
RETScreen include energy loss in order to run a tracking system
A: I guess you mean electrical losses. you
should include those losses in miscellaneous losses.
Q: Does
the programme cater for reduction in efficiency due to lack of cleaning of
panels?
A: You can enter this information in Miscellaneous
losses
Q: Does RETScreen
sofware can be used by an energy consultant company without fees ?
A: yes, anyone can download and use RETScreen
free-of-charge. However, the consultant should mention RETScreen was used.