It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Optimizing Multi-site Pv Power Output Variability in Eagleville Pa
Open Access
- Author:
- Morozzi, Gregory James
- Area of Honors:
- Electrical Engineering
- Degree:
- Bachelor of Science
- Document Type:
- Thesis
- Thesis Supervisors:
- Dr. Jeffrey Brownson, Thesis Supervisor
Dr. Timothy Joseph Kane, Thesis Honors Advisor
Mark Stephen Klima, Faculty Reader - Keywords:
- Solar
PV
Decentralized Generation
Power Spectral Density - Abstract:
- The variability of photovoltaic energy generation can be significant, and multiple studies have shown the relationship between space and time with respect to distributed PV generation. When multiple PV systems spread across a geographic region are connected to form an integrated network of distributed energy, the variability incurred on the electricity grid can be reduced in proportion to 1/√N, where N is the number of systems. The main focus in many past studies has been on how more PV systems address the problem of variability, yet this is not necessarily always a valid method. This case study uses a network of irradiation sensors collecting data over ten days throughout Eagleville, PA to build a data set that will serve as a snapshot of what a reduced variability system could look like considering strategic numbering and placement of PV cells. By applying the method of Rayl, Young, and Brownson for calculating Power Spectral Density and Variance, measured values of uncertainty were calculated for 10 days, 1 day, and 1 hour intervals. [1] The results show that as the time interval of interest decreases in size, variance values decrease and from site to site the variances are on the same order of magnitude. The information gained from this experiment provides initial groundwork to evaluate how functioning PV systems would work in a decentralized power scenario. Information of this type could be useful to the Mid-Atlantic ISO through hour ahead and day ahead planning with regard to decentralized PV networks.