EFFICIENT EAST-WEST ORIENTATED PV SYSTEMS WITH ONE MPP TRACKER

Dipl.-Ing.(FH) Dietmar Staudacher

FRONIUS International GmbH
Froniusplatz 1, A – 4600 Wels
Tel.: +43 7242 241 - 3277
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: http://www.fronius.com

ABSTRACT: A willingness to install east-west orientated photovoltaic (PV) systems has lacked in the past. Nowadays,
however, interest in installing PV systems on east-west roofs is steadily increasing. Although south orientated systems are
better, east-west orientated PV systems can also generate substantial earnings. Moreover, due to the sharp drop in module
prices, increased demand for east-west systems are expected for the future. From the perspective of grid operators,
east-west orientated PV systems are preferable to south orientated ones, as the energy is fed-in more evenly throughout
the day, therefore reducing power peaks thus relieving the grid. Up to now it was assumed that
east-west orientated PV systems require separate inverters for each orientation, or at least one inverter with multiple MPP
Trackers (Maximum Power Point), to avoid mismatching losses. This paper will show an analysis of east-west orientated
PV systems connected to one MPP Tracker and demonstrate the high performance of such systems.

1 INTRODUCTION technology are the fill factor and the change of the MPP
voltage as a function of irradiation.
Based on theoretical analysis, the behaviour of the
MPP of an east-west orientated PV system was
investigated and then verified by comparing measurement
results. For the practical results two east-west arrays were
installed – one PV array with thin film modules and one
PV array with crystalline modules. These arrays were
then split and put into operation as separate systems – the
first with one inverter for the east roof and one inverter
for the west roof, and the second with a single inverter
for both roofs.
The thin film modules were installed with an azimuth
angle of -67.5° for the east generator, 112.5° for the west
generator, and an inclination angle of 30°. The crystalline
modules, on the other hand, were mounted with an exact
orientation of -90° for the east generator, 90° for the west
generator, and an inclination angle of 15°. Figure 1: IV characteristic of a crystalline module at
Measurements of the ‘IV’ characteristic were taken to different irradiation levels [1]
obtain accurate results and possible inverter deviations
were monitored by installing energy meters. The fill factor - which is usually higher for crystalline
modules than for thin film modules – is crucial, since it
determines how steeply the power curve drops before and
2 MISMATCHING after the MPP. Figure 2 shows the typical characteristics
of a crystalline module and a thin film module. It can be
At first glance, the installation of a single inverter in seen that the power curve of the crystalline module drops
an east-west orientated PV system leads to the more steeply around the MPP than the power curve of the
expectation of large mismatching losses. Due to the thin film module. Therefore, it is likely that crystalline
different orientations in an east-west PV system, the solar modules lead to higher mismatching losses in east-west
modules are exposed to various irradiation levels. For orientated PV systems than thin film modules.
this reason, different module currents occur between the Another important point, however, is the change of
east and west strings, depending on the time of day. In the MPP voltage as a function of irradiation [see Figure
contrast to large current differences between the east and 1]. A small change of the MPP voltage over a wide
west generator, the MPP voltages are nearly identical, as irradiation range causes the fewest losses. The change in
can be seen in Figure 1. Since the total voltage of the east MPP voltage is mainly affected by the module
generator is similar to the total voltage of the west temperature. A low temperature coefficient and good
generator, very small mismatching losses are expected if ventilation of the solar modules therefore results in better
these strings are connected in parallel to a single inverter performance in east-west orientated PV systems.
(one MPP Tracker). Moreover, a high low-light performance of a solar
The mismatching losses differ according to the module can also improve the power output. Since all
inclination angle of the installed solar modules and the these variables differ with every module, no general
module technology used. The greater the inclination conclusion can be drawn about which technology is more
angle of the solar modules, the higher the mismatching favourable for east-west orientated PV systems.
losses. Essential for the losses from the module
 Crystalline module - Fill factor ≈ 80%
generator with a single inverter compared to the DC
V/I - Characteristic MPP V/P - Characteristic V/P - Characteristic
voltages of the east/west generator with separate
inverters. As can be seen, the voltages of the east and
7,0
300 west generator are different. In the morning, the voltage
6,0
250
of the west generator is generally higher than the voltage
Current [A]

5,0

Power [W]
200
4,0
3,0 150 of the east generator, whereas the reverse is true in the
2,0 100 afternoon. This is a result of the irradiation and
1,0 50 temperature behaviour of solar cells, since the DC
0,0 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
voltage remains nearly constant at a global irradiation
Voltage [V] level above ~180 W/m2 and increases/decreases with
decreasing/increasing module temperature.
Thin film module - Fill factor ≈ 60% The east/west generator produces mismatching losses
V/I - Characteristic MPP V/P - Characteristic V/P - Characteristic because the DC voltage of that generator is not identical
1,4 120 with the DC voltage of the west generator in the morning.
1,2 100 The same applies to the DC voltage of the east generator
1,0
Current [A]

Power [W]
0,8
80 in the afternoon. Although the DC voltage of the
60
0,6 east/west generator deviates by up to 5% from the
40
0,4 voltages of the generator with separate inverters, the
0,2 20
energy losses are very small, as can be seen in Figure 4.
0,0 0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 This is because the DC voltage of the east/west generator
Voltage [V] follows the voltage of the east generator in the morning
Figure 2: Characteristic curves of a crystalline module and the voltage of the west generator in the afternoon. An
and a thin film module additional point to note is that a deviation of 5% from the
optimal MPP voltage does not lead to the same
percentage of power losses, since a lower/higher MPP
3 RESULTS voltage also causes a higher/lower MPP current.

3.1 Low mismatching losses AC power

As explained in section 2, the installation of a single East/West-Generator East- + West-Generator
inverter in an east-west orientated PV system necessarily
24
results in mismatching losses. However, these losses are
20
Power [kW]

minimal and are partially compensated by other positive 16

effects. For example, an east-west orientated PV system 12
with a single inverter operates in a higher efficiency 8
4
range for more of the time when compared to an
0
installation with separate inverters. The figures shown in 04:48 07:12 09:36 12:00 14:24 16:48 19:12 21:36
section 3.1 use data from the east-west orientated PV Time
system with the crystalline modules [see section 1].
Energy
East/West-Generator East- + West-Generator
DC Voltage
DC Voltage: East-Generator 201,14 201,34
DC Voltage: West-Generator 200
500 DC Voltage: East/West-Generator
Energy [kWh]

150
Voltage [V]

400 100

300 50

0
200 Sunny day
04:48 07:12 09:36 12:00 14:24 16:48 19:12 21:36
Time
Figure 4: AC power comparison with the corresponding
energy yield on a sunny day. ~ 0.1% energy losses of the
Irradiation and Temperature east/west generator with a single inverter compared to the
Irradiation: East-Generator Irradiation: West-Generator
Temperature: East-Generator Temperature: West-Generator
east/west generator with separate inverters
1000 100
Irradiation [W/m ]

Temperature [°C]

As shown in Figure 4, the AC power curve of the

2

800 80
600 60 east/west generator with a single inverter overlaps the
400 40 combined AC power curve of the east/west generator
200 20 with separate inverters for the whole day. The different
0 0
DC voltages of the generators lead to approximately
04:48 07:12 09:36 12:00 14:24 16:48 19:12 21:36 0.5% mismatching losses but the final energy losses are
Time just 0.1% - within the accuracy of measurement of the
Figure 3: Comparison of the measured DC voltages with energy meters of ±1%. As mentioned before, the
the corresponding irradiation and temperature profile on mismatching losses are partially compensated due to the
a sunny day east/west generator with a single inverter operating in a
higher efficiency range.
Figure 3 shows the DC voltage of the east/west The energy losses are highest on a sunny day because
the lower the irradiation difference between the east and From these results it can be concluded that the cost
west strings, the lower the deviation of the DC voltages. savings are greater than the energy losses. This means
The result is that energy losses are even lower on a that the payback time of the east-west PV system with a
cloudy day or on days with diffuse irradiation. single inverter is shorter.

3.2 Energy yield comparison – Part I 3.3 Energy yield comparison – Part II
The following energy yield comparison shows the The results in section 3.3 are the energy yield
result of the east-west orientated PV system with thin comparison of the east-west orientated PV system with
film modules. As can be seen in Figure 5, the energy crystalline modules. Since the inclination angle of the
losses of the east/west generator with a single inverter are solar modules is just 15°, there is very little energy loss,
very low over a long period. as can be seen in Figure 7. The mismatching losses are
between 0.3% and 0.5%, but they are compensated due to
Energy yield - 3 Months the higher efficiency operation of the single inverter.
East/West-Generator East- + West-Generator
400 361,10 364,60 Energy yield - 3 Months
Energy [kWh/kWp]

350
300 East/West-Generator East- + West-Generator
250 398,09 398,18
400
200

Energy [kWh/kWp]
137,61 138,47 350
150 107,96 109,07 115,53 117,06
300
100 250
50 200 149,48 149,54
0 150 121,10 121,15 127,51 127,49
May 09 Jun 09 Jul 09 May 09 - Jul 09 100
Month 50
0
Figure 5: Energy yield comparison of the east-west May 10 Jun 10 Jul 10 May 10 - Jul 10

orientated PV system with thin film modules over a Month

period of 3 months. ~1% energy losses of the east/west Figure 7: Energy yield comparison of the east-west
generator with a single inverter compared to the east/west orientated PV system with crystalline modules over a
generator with separate inverters period of 3 months. The energy yield of the east/west
generator with a single inverter is nearly the same as that
Based on the results from May to July, it can be of the east/west generator with separate inverters
expected that the annual energy losses of the east/west
generator with a single inverter will be less than 1%. The In this case as well, the east/west generator with a
east/west generator with a single inverter therefore has a single inverter is the lower-cost option. The cost savings
clear advantage compared to an installation with separate are obvious and roughly the same as set out in section
inverters. It is also superior to an installation of a single 3.2. Firstly, only one inverter is required. Secondly, the
inverter with two MPP Trackers. In fact, the east/west nominal power of the single inverter can be reduced by
generator with a single inverter is the cheaper solution approximately 5%, as shown in Figure 8. The nominal
whilst generating almost the same energy yield, as only power reduction of 5% results from the 15° inclination
one inverter is needed. In addition, the single inverter can angle of the crystalline solar modules, as explained in
have a lower nominal power than the sum of the nominal section 3.2. At this point, it should be mentioned that a
power of the separate inverters. This is because the power single inverter with twice the nominal power of one
peaks of the east and west generator are time-shifted, as separate inverter is always cheaper than two smaller
shown in Figure 6. The nominal power reduction inverters.
depends on the inclination angle of the solar modules –
the higher the inclination angle, the lower the nominal AC power profile
power of the single inverter. As explained in section 1, East-Generator [11,35 kWp] West-Generator [11,5 kWp]
East/West-Generator [21.8 kWp]
the thin film modules were installed with an inclination
angle of 30°, allowing the nominal power of the single 25
20
inverter to be reduced by approximately 15%.
Power [kW]

15
10
AC power profile
5
East-Generator [1,013 kWp] West-Generator [1,012 kWp]
0
East/West-Generator [1,711 kWp]
04:48 07:26 10:04 12:43 15:21 18:00 20:38
2
Time
Power [kW]

1,5
Figure 8: Example of the AC power profile of the
1 east-west orientated PV system with crystalline modules.
0,5 A nominal power of ~95% of the sum of the nominal
0
power of the separate inverters is sufficient for the single
05:31 07:55 10:19 12:43 15:07 17:31 19:55 inverter
Time

Figure 6: Example of the AC power profile of the Consequently, the payback time of the east/west
east-west orientated PV system with thin film modules. A generator with a single inverter is shorter than that of the
nominal power of ~85% of the sum of the nominal power east/west generator with separate inverters.
of the separate inverters is sufficient for the single
inverter
4 BASIC INSTALLATION RULES

The following rules must be observed in order to

ensure that an east-west orientated PV system with a
single inverter operates optimally:

Shading must be avoided

The number of solar modules must be identical
in all strings

Within a single string, the inclination angle and
orientation of the solar modules must be
identical

5 CONCLUSION

The investigations on both PV systems have

demonstrated that in an east-west orientated PV system,
with a single inverter for the east and west generator,
mismatching losses occur. As expected, these losses are
very small and are partially compensated by the fact that
the single inverter operates in a higher efficiency range.
In contrast to minimal yield losses, the following costs
can be reduced significantly: firstly the number of
inverters can be reduced and secondly the nominal power
of the single inverter can be reduced by up to 35% -
depending on the inclination angle of the installed solar
modules. Furthermore, installation costs can be
minimised.
If one considers basic installation rules, the
inclination angle of the solar modules and module
technology, installing a single inverter in an east-west
orientated system can be cheaper than installing a system
with separate inverters. Finally, installing a single
inverter has no disadvantages compared to installing an
inverter with two MPP-Trackers.

6 REFERENCES

[1] Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE,

How fast does an MPP Tracker really need to be, 24th
European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference,
Germany, 2009