Renewable Energy

The aim of this coursework is to analyse the performance of a solar energy installation at the University of Portsmouth, developed as a living lab during Interreg Solarise project.

The installation at the Eco-house consists of 15 SolarEdge 335 W PV modules and 15 SolarEdge optimisers, connected to a 5 kW inverter, which delivers the generated power to the AC electric network of the house. A Tesla Powerwall 2 smart battery storage system is connected to the AC electrical network of the house. A number of common household appliances are already connected to the AC network and serve as loads. On the monitoring side, there is a weather station measuring a range of variables of interest in solar installations.

a) Weather data, solar panel hourly output and other data are provided for 31 May. You should graphically present, analyse, evaluate the collected data, and provide recommendations regarding battery management approach.

b) Based on average monthly irradiation data, evaluate the expected annual solar panel electricity production.

c) Based on the nominal panel efficiency and other details given in the datasheet, evaluate annual output across the useful life of the panel, as well as the cumulative output.

d) Analyse the return on investment and wider financial implications of living lab based on the total cost of components and installation of £17602.12.

e) Based on the characteristics curves in the data sheet, analyse MPP across the year using average monthly irradiation data. Consider given temperature coefficients and discuss how high cell temperatures affect the output.

f) Evaluate the design of the installation and offer suggestions how it can be enhanced.

g) Discuss environmental effects associated with this solar energy installation.