Interview with Samer Chaaraoui from Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences, Sankt Augustin, on the process of modeling photovoltaic systems. In cooperation with other members of the EnerSHelF project, he works on the mathematical representation of different effects and events that influence the operation of the system
When I searched for academic articles on solar
photovoltaic modeling and simulation, I have seen a lot of equations and
mathematical formulas. Can you explain in a more accessible way what modeling
of photovoltaic systems encompasses?
By modeling photovoltaic (PV) systems, we try to
find a mathematical representation of effects and events happening inside a PV
system. With this representation, we can simulate processes, such as the
conversion of solar radiation to electrical power, in order to estimate solar
yields – for instance for economic and ecological business case analyses.
Since the full representation of the real world is
not viable, we try to find mathematical representations which are simple enough
to be calculated quickly and are complex enough to give an acceptable result.
Therefore, it is especially important to validate modeling results with real
world measurements, to estimate the performance of the model.
You will find many approaches and equations, trying
to represent PV systems, which range from simple physical equations to more
complex methods. Each of these approaches result from different demands towards
the use case, usability, and accuracy of the model.
Continue reading How Photovoltaic Solar Systems are Modeled →