Semester

Summer

Date of Graduation

2024

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

MS

College

Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources

Department

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Committee Chair

Hailin Li

Committee Co-Chair

Bhaskaran Gopalakrishnan

Committee Member

Derek Johnson

Abstract

Solar panels are recognized as a viable technology for producing electricity from sunlight. The performance of a solar panel is influenced by factors such as solar irradiance, tilt angle, orientation, shading, panel age, degradation, and various environmental conditions including ambient air temperature, humidity, dust, soil, and snow.

In this research, a mobile solar panel testing system consisting of a mobile cart, a solar panel, and a portable power station was designed and fabricated to evaluate the performance of a solar panel. The battery is equipped with a thermal management system controlling its temperature and charging and discharging system. The current produced is measured by a Hall effect direct current (DC) transducer, and the charging power of the battery is recorded. Solar irradiance was measured using a Seaward Solar Survey 200R irradiance meter. Preliminary testing verified that this system can be used to evaluate the performance and efficiency of solar panels. The impact of tilt angle, irradiance, ambient air temperature, humidity, and solar panel temperature on the performance and efficiency of a REC Solar Alpha REC375AA solar panel can be investigated. Performance analysis showed that the maximum efficiency of this panel was obtained between 11:00 AM and 1:45 PM when the solar irradiance exceeded 800 W/m² on June 21, 2024. The average efficiency of the solar panel throughout the experiment was 17.72%.

This research also presents a performance and status assessment of a 140-kW solar array installed on the rooftop of the Mountain Line Transit Authority (MLTA) building in Morgantown, West Virginia (WV). The total electricity produced from January 1st, 2013, to December 31, 2023, was 1,518,832 kWh, with an average annual production of 138,076 kWh. Correspondingly, the CO2 emissions reduction from this array was approximately 1,347,204 kg over the 11-year period, roughly 122,473 kg/year on average compared to conventional power plants in WV. The highest and lowest average daily capacity utilization hours (CUH) were recorded in June (4.53 h) and January (1.04 h), respectively. The average daily and annual CUH throughout the past 11 years of the solar panel system were 2.73 h and 995 h, respectively. The current average PV array efficiency was found to be 10.70% in April 2024. Additionally, the maximum efficiency of 14.30% was observed at 2:00 PM.

Finally, a methodology for evaluating the degradation of this 140-kW solar panel performance was developed. It was assumed that the panel productivity depends on solar energy received and panel efficiency, factoring out shadow blockage, with weather or cloud being the only factors affecting the performance. It was found that the best performance of this panel decreased by 2.28% each year from 2013 to 2016, and then became relatively stable from 2017 to 2023. This methodology assumes that there is at least one sunny day each month, which may not always be correct but is true at a very high percentage.

The results achieved in this research help us to better understand the performance of solar panel systems and their degradation with time. The mobile solar panel testing system developed in this project can be used to evaluate the efficiency of solar panel and evaluate the efficiency of solar panel-battery system efficiency.

Download

Share

COinS