Event date:
Feb 24 2021 5:00 pm

Study of Edge Effects for Shading in Various Agrivoltaic Panel Configurations

Supervisor
Dr. Nauman Zafar Butt
Student
Maira Farman
Venue
Zoom Meetings (Online)
Event
MS Synopsis defense
Abstract
Agrivoltaic system (AVS) is a combined system comprising of crops underneath photovoltaic (PV) panels. The strategy behind this system is to get both food and energy supply from solar radiation. AVS has a great significance in terms of ensuring food security, the viability of future production of renewable energy, and the economic growth of agriculture. Solar panels cast some shadow effect on the crops growing underneath in this combined agrivoltaic system (AVS). Shading produced by the Photovoltaic (PV) panels results in the reduction of average light required for the crops. On crop production, light reduction had a great impact. PV module should be elevated above the ground, which is well-suited with the system, for unproblematic farming of crops. I have conducted this research at the location of Lahore, Pakistan to investigate different solar panel designs and configurations of AVS, to maintain a balance between global production of renewable energy and crop production. Research shows that panel’s elevation above the ground level has a significant impact on the conglomeration of solar radiations at the crop level. It is observed that the shading pattern of solar panels on crops is different close to the edges as compared to the internal rows of the panels, in the agrivoltaic system. The shading pattern under solar panels changes seasonally in this combined system. Furthermore, the shading pattern is different for different latitudes as the light and shade travel with sun elevation. That is why; the shadow effect of solar panels may have a different impact on the yield of winter crops compared to summer crops. When the sun is at a low position and from the sides contact the ground, the shading effect will be comparatively less due to border effects in the agrivoltaic system. Because of low shadow duration and raising insolation uniformity, the east-west faced systems may be more favorable than fixed south-facing systems. By using a solar-tracking system both crop yield and PV panels’ efficiency might improve. The full density (FD) agrivoltaic system was considered most favorable for energy production but it allows only 50 percent light radiations to reach crop level. Half density AVS allowed about 70 percent of solar radiations to reach the crops underneath PV panels. A reduced solar panel density may therefore be required to achieve good crop yield. The ability to bear low levels of solar radiation is the important attribute of crops which is known as shade tolerance. In this thesis, I investigate the optimization of all parameters to analyze the effect of shadow at the edges vs. the central locations of the PV arrays.

Zoom Link:     https://zoom.us/j/94629062332?pwd=clZSbUxWMGhEeXIrZnYvNmhQM2hrUT09

Meeting ID:    946 2906 2332

Passcode:         457405