Answer Happy

a) Name one solar thermal power technology and explain its operating principle. Do you think this solar thermal power technology is suitable for HK? Why? (5 marks) b) Figure 5b shows the side view of two rows of photovoltaic (PV) array. The PV array is facing south with tilt angle 15º. At local solar noon, elevation of the sun is 45°. Calculate the length of the shadow from the front row of PV on the ground. What is the minimum pitch distance at which the front PV row will not shade the next PV row at this moment? (5 marks) Sunlight with solar elevation at 45° 2m long PV module due south with 15º tilt angle and supported by the vertical column at mid-point 1m supporting column Shadow on the ground Pitch distance Figure 5b Side view of two rows of PV array
c) Figure 5c is the loss diagram simulated from the popular software PVSyst for a 10 MW grid connected solar PV power plant in India. Calculate the annual performance ratio (PR) of this solar PV power plant based on the simulation. If the same solar PV power plant were to be exactly duplicated in Alaska with similar landscape around the power plant, would you expect a higher/lower annual electricity generation and higher/lower PR from the solar PV power plant? Why? (5 marks) 1940 kWh/m² Horizontal global irradiation +7.6% Global incident in coll. plane 2030 kWh/m2.75922 m coll. efficiency at STC = 13.30% 20489 MWh -2.8% IAM factor on global Effective irradiance on collectors PV conversion Array nominal energy (at STC effic.) -3.1% PV loss due to irradiance level -10.7% PV loss due to temperature -2.1% Array Soiling loss -1.6% Module quality loss 2.1% Module array mismatch loss - 1.1% Ohmic wiring loss Array virtual energy at MPP 16532 MWh -1.9% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% -0.0% Inverter Loss during operation (efficiency) Inverter Loss over nominal inv. power Inverter Loss due to power threshold Inverter Loss over nominal inv, voltage Inverter Loss due to voltage threshold Available Energy at Inverter Output 16222 MWh 0.0% -1.1% AC ohmic loss External transfo loss Energy injected into grid 16047 MWh Figure 5c Annual loss diagram d) Inspect the loss items in Figure 5c and suggest three possible measures to improve the annual PR of this solar PV power plant. (5 marks) (Total: 20 marks)