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COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND COMPUTER SCIENCE
TASK: Assessing the Solar Resource
COURSE: ENGN4524/6524 Photovoltaic Technologies
CONTEXT:
In this exercise you are asked by your company to write an initial technical report. You will use excel
spreadsheets and databases to assess the solar energy resources available in Canberra and at a site in
Germany. You will use this data, together with the relevant equations and concepts from the lectures, to inform
the company about the suitability of Canberra as a site for a photovoltaic power plant the company is planning
to invest.
ASSESSMENT OUTCOMES:
The course learning outcomes that will be assessed in this task include:
Identify the potential of the solar resource and photovoltaic systems as a mainstream energy source for the future
Appraise and design photovoltaic systems
SCOPE:
In this task you will be required to:
Use simulations of the sun’s apparent motion to estimate the optimum orientation for solar collectors
Investigate the effect of the angle of a collector on its performance
Collect and analyse real meteorological data to calculate the irradiance falling on an inclined plane
Use concise and precise scientific language to describe and report your findings
MARKING CRITERIA:
In this task you will be marked on your ability to:
Correctly interpret instructions and produce accurate results - define experimental questions, and perform
the appropriate experiments / simulations / calculations. All questions need to be addressed.
Analyse and interpret results and draw valid conclusions - apply knowledge gained in the course, relate results to
course knowledge, and demonstrate an understanding of the limitations and errors of the experimental processes
or simulations.
Communicate effectively – As a technical engineer in the company, you need to use concise & precise scientific language
to report your findings. In order to convince the company (the audience is the directors who have good engineering
background but limited knowledge on solar resources) whether a solar plant in Canberra is worth investing in, you need
to provide logical reasoning in your report backed up by appropriate mathematical, graphical and report writing
techniques (i.e. what steps were taken and what the reasons were for doing those steps).
Please note: The Exercise Assessment and Feedback form (which you will find on Wattle, in the ‘Exercises’ section) will be used to provide
you with feedback and the assessment of your report.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION:
Max 8 page report, including appendices for additional graphs/data where required. Pages in excess of the
limit will be disregarded. The title page is not included in the 8 page limit.
The title page of the report must contain your Uni ID, full name, and the date of your scheduled exercise session.
Text should be no smaller than 12 point size, in a highly legible font
Submit report, as a pdf file, via Wattle by the due date. The file name should be
__Ex1.pdf, eg u1234567_Smith_Ex1.pdf
Please note: Late submissions will be penalised at a rate of 5% per day that the item is late, unless exceptional circumstances (usually requiring a
medical certificate) can be shown to apply. In such cases, you should i) State on the title page that special circumstances apply, and the modified
submission date; and ii) provide any relevant documentation as an appendix to the document (for example, emails from the lecturer/demonstrator
approving the change of exercise session for that week or approving and extension, and/or relevant medical certificates.
TASK DESCRIPTION (4 PARTS)
BRIEF:
Assuming that the government is announcing a solar auction program, requesting bids from interested
companies to install up to 200MW of solar photovoltaics.
Your solar energy company wants some of this funding. As the leading solar engineer on the project you
have been asked for your assessment of the Canberra region as a potential site for the power station. In the
early stages of planning you are interested in the solar energy resources available in Canberra and the
optimum inclination of a solar collector, so you can start to choose the solar technology most suitable for
the area and estimate the cost of such a system – which will determine the bidding price.
To support your assessment of the Canberra region, you will also do a similar analysis for the 550MWp Topaz Solar
Farm (USA), one of the world’s largest photovoltaic plants. By comparing assessments of the two regions, you will
be able to draw a strong conclusion on whether or not Canberra is a suitable place for a solar power station.
RESOURCES:
In your initial investigation you will use the following web based resources:
SunPosition calculates the position of the sun throughout a particular day and for a given location (latitude).
By definition 12pm is solar noon, which is halfway through the day and the time when the sun is highest in the
sky. Among other things, it can be used to determine the time of sunrise, sunset, and the altitude and azimuthal
angle of the sun.
ModuleSim is an Excel based spreadsheet that simulates the motion of the sun across the sky at any location
on earth and at any time of year. It uses the information to calculate the expected diffuse and direct radiation
incident on a solar module of defined tilt on a clear day for the different months of the year. It may be used, for
example, to roughly optimise the angle of tilt of a PV panel for maximum yearly electrical output.
Note: You will find a link to this spreadsheet on the Wattle course website.