Hello solar enthusiasts! Today we are diving deep into the technical side of things, all about solar resource assessments. For both solar companies and individuals interested in solar panels for your home, it’s crucial to understand how the accuracy of these assessments can heavily impact the efficiency of your solar array for home. So, let’s get started.
An accurate assessment of available solar resources is key to ensure the reliability of our energy yield predictions. However, most solar studies base their assessments on satellite irradiation data. These data are cheaper and easier to obtain than on-site measurements from a weather station. However, satellite data isn’t always as accurate as ground-measured readings, especially with the rise of bifacial solar modules.
A bifacial solar module allows for the collection of sunlight on both sides of the panel, enhancing energy production. The amount of light reaching the rear of these modules is mainly governed by albedo – a term referring to how much radiation gets reflected off the ground and back unto the solar panel. Now, if you’ve been exploring solar companies or considering solar panels for your home, you might have come across this term. Understanding albedo is critical because even a slight error could cause a 0.5% impact on your energy yield assessments, potentially affecting your investment significantly.
Due to the potential impact and variances in albedo, some solar professionals recommend taking on-site albedo measurements over short-term periods, instead of relying on satellite data alone. The trade-off here is between cost and accuracy. It’s a kind of solar compromise. A one-year data collection venture is quite expensive for most solar developers, but short-term measurements, even one-day, help to calibrate the satellite data, improving its accuracy.
In my investigation of the benefits of short-term measurements, I pulled up data from the Surface Radiation Budget Network (SURFRAD) featuring seven sites in the United States. The data spanned six years and was combined with satellite albedo data from the Prospect tool of SolarGIS. Applying this data to simulated yield scenarios, I found that one-day measurements were rarely beneficial… mostly fruitless in the winter months. Seven-day measurement campaigns, however, were more fruitful, especially in the summertime.
Despite these advantages, it’s recommended to conduct a full year of measurements to ensure the most accurate data for your solar project. This might seem costly initially for solar companies or those of you ambitious folks looking to install your solar array for home, but trust me, it pays off over the lifetime of the project due to the enhanced accuracy that these data provide.
The rise of bifacial solar modules has amplified the importance of correct solar resource assessment. With the amount of light that they can utilize, it’s crucial to get the albedo value as precise as possible. So whether you are a solar company or a DIY aficionado planning for solar panels for your home, paying that extra bit for a full year of measurements can make all the difference in the world for your solar project’s efficiency.
I hope this technical journey into solar resource assessments has been enlightening. It’s another important aspect of the wider solar landscape and an essential piece of the puzzle when it comes to getting the best out of your solar array for home. Until next time, keep shining!
Original Articlehttps://pv-magazine-usa.com/2024/07/03/the-importance-of-measuring-albedo-at-solar-sites/
