Integration of PV systems in urban environments

The present thesis project approaches the integration of small-scale PV systems in urban environments and the prediction of the energy yield. It aims to find a simple method energy yield prediction model that accounts for the effects of the surroundings on the generated power.The most accurate existing frameworks that are used to calculate the energy yield of a PV system rely on the integration of the solar power received by the solar modules. These methods although being precise, become computationally demanding when the performance of a solar panel has to be studied for a large number of locations.As part of the present study a new version of the Infotainment Spot has been designed and fabricated for bus stops in the Netherlands. Applying the existing frameworks, the performance is simulated for a large number of urban scenarios. Based on the results, a novel approach is proposed by correlating the yield of the Infotainment Spot with the characteristics of the skyline profiles.The model proposed in this study is applicable in most urban scenarios and valid in an extensive geographic area. Furthermore, it was determined that the annual energy yield prediction model can estimate the performance of a PV system with 10% accuracy in average.Electrical Engineering | Sustainable Energy Technolog