Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Solar energy is now considered to be one of the most reliable and promising sources of renewable energy. Efficiency of conversion of solar energy into electricity by means of photovoltaic (PV) systems varies considerably depending on atmospheric conditions such as ice, snow and pollution. In fact, ice, snow and pollution deposits on solar panels can reduce their performance or even stop them from absorbing solar radiation. The general objective of this research program is to investigate fundamentally the effect of such conditions on the energy efficiency of the PV systems in Canada. The energy reduction of the PV systems due to the partial shading phenomenon when ice, snow and pollution layers cover the PV panel surface non-uniformly will be investigated experimentally. The lack of mathematical models for forecasting the electrical performance of PV systems under such conditions has motivated the present study, which aims at developing reliable models to analyze behavior of the PV system integrated into the power system. The PV system will be modeled through extracting mathematical equations from associated physical phenomena. Due to the partial shading phenomenon, the PV system experiences several local Maximum Power Points (MPP). Hence, a Maximum Power Point Tracker (MPPT) to extract maximum power from the PV array through tracing the PV operating voltage corresponding to the MPP will be proposed. Moreover, a control system will be presented to regulate the voltage and frequency when the PV system energizes the power grid.Based on the results obtained from laboratory work and simulation using the 3D Finite Element Method (FEM), several possible solutions to optimize the energy generated by the PV will be offered. In particular, this work will provide valuable information for the selection of the optimized dimension and tilt angle of the PV arrays with respect to the severity of ice, snow and pollution. The generated MPPT model will offer effective methods to extract the maximum power from the PV systems in cold and polluted regions. The proposed control system will provide smooth integration of the PV system into the power grid, efficient energy extraction from the PV system as well as frequency/voltage regulation of the power grid in cold and polluted environments. Due to particular climate conditions in Canada as well as the rapid growth of photovoltaic systems, this work will attract considerable interest of the PV community, both researchers and practitioners.