EME 810
Solar Resource Assessment and Economics

6.4 Discussion Activity

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Lesson 6  Discussion in Yellowdig!

In this lesson we continue making connections between the technical information on solar resource and system design with project economics.

  1. First, review the recommendation for the engineering principles - cosine effect, angle of incidence, shading. There are some common "rules of thumb" on how to position the panels, and there are some additional methods and tools to maintain the highest possible efficiency. Share any methods and tips you find.
  2. If you are developing a project in Madison, WI (43o N) or Melbourne, Australia (-37.5o S), for example, what panel position would you recommend to the client. Would you go with the fixed tilt, trackers? How would your recommendations be related to the area constraints? Suggest some scenarios here. 

Then, we also collect various weather and climate information about the locale. Some supporting information is available from the TMY data, environmental monitoring stations, or direct measurements. Seasons may look different in different climate zones. How do we relate all that information to the SECS performance? 

  1. Whats is the impact of air temperature? Why do we collect and report this information in system design justification?
  2. How do the data on clearness indexes (KT) help us in decision making about system design and capacity?
  3. What about humidity, preciptation, particle concentration - is that information important? 

Those characteristics of the locale are not just FYI. We are trying to reveal their economic impact on system performance, payback, and return on investment for our client.

Tagging

We will revisit some of the previous topics in Yellowdig (maybe at somewhat different angle) and will add some new as well to provide you with the discussion space on the questions above:

You can tag your post with one or several topics at the same time (just be sure to address all those in your post). All posts and contributions you create are added up to one score at the end of the week.

Importance of interaction

Yellowdig tip: Remember to respond to questions. If your post generated some, it is a good thing! The best way not to miss questions is to set email notifications in Yellowdig  - then, whenever someone reacts to your post, you will get instantly notified.

Grading and Deadline

Remember that Yellowdig point earning period ends each Friday. Posting commenting, reacting regularly through the weeek will make the 1000 pts. an easy target and guarantee a high participation grade in the course. Yellowdig discussions will account for 15% of your total grade.