Solar Tilt Angle Optimization of PV Systems for Different Case Studies

Abstract

The evolution of solar photovoltaic systems (PV) in the last decade has been marvellous around the world. This growing in using of PV technique hinge on the electrical load profile that required to be covered and the rate of the electricity that can be generated from the areas where the solar cells to be installed. The production of PV systems is based on the fuel which is represented by the solar radiation. In this study, an algorithm has been proposed to optimize the solar tilt angle based on MATLAB software (m-file) in order to maximize the PV generation. Monthly and annually optimal tilt angles are suggested for different case studies those are: Najaf, California and New Delhi. Also, the estimation of solar radiation for each month is calculated according to their optimal tilt angles. The obtained results indicate that the yearly gain of solar radiation from orientation solar panels is approximately 18% for Najaf city and a high gain values for winter months with very small energy gains for summery months, and so on for other case studies. This proposed algorithm is general program and can be applied for any site on the earth by changing the latitude and longitude of the desired area.