Yield, Performance & Cost Analysis of FPV Projects

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Recording of Tuesday, June 18, 2024 | The smarter E Europe | Conference Program | Language: English | Duration: 16:50 .

Dr. Anna Heimsath Discusses Floating Solar Potential and Modeling Validations at Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems

Dr. Anna Heimsath from the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems discusses the potential of floating photovoltaics (FPV) due to increasing land scarcity. She emphasizes FPV's benefits, such as conserving valuable land and integrating with other renewable energy sources like hydropower and offshore systems. The research aims to understand and enhance these systems by leveraging operational data from two megawatt-sized FPV plants featuring similar constructions and silicon modules. Heimsath explains their methodology of using existing PV models but adapting coefficients based on empirical data. Initial findings show that traditional ground-mounted PV models underestimate FPV yield and overestimate module temperature without coefficient adjustments. By fine-tuning with initial plant data, predictive accuracy improves significantly when applied to a different plant dataset, validating this adaptive modeling approach as an effective preliminary method. Future work focuses on refining these models further for industry-standard procedures in yield development while improving environmental sustainability through better resource management strategies.

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Dr. Anna Heimsath
Head of Department "Analysis PV Modules and Power Plants"
Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE
Germany

Floating photovoltaics (FPV) is an established alternative PV power plant application for regions with space constraints and for bodies of water that need protection from pollution and evaporation. The total FPV onshore deployment is expected to reach a double-digit GW output soon. That is why the industry is turning its attention to the vast potential of offshore installations. Despite considerable technical progress, much still remains to be done - from standardization, cost reduction, to environmental assessments and social acceptance - before FPV becomes widely accepted.

The session will discuss:

  • Market & technology developments
  • On and offshore case studies
  • Biodiversity research results
  • Yield and cost comparison FPV vs. traditional PV power plants

Further Talks of this session:

Speaker

Michele Tagliapietra
Head of Product Management Floating-PV
BayWa r.e.
Belgium

To Talk

Speaker

Stanislas Merlet
Senior Consultant Solar PV
Multiconsult
Norway

To Talk

Speaker

Jasper Lemmens
Senior Consultant
DNV Netherlands B.V.
The Netherlands

To Talk

Speaker

Michele Tagliapietra
Head of Product Management Floating-PV
BayWa r.e.
Belgium

To Talk

Speaker

Dr. Benjamin Lehner
CEO
Dutch Marine Energy Centre
The Netherlands

To Talk

To Talk

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