Validating the acceptance zone for PV modules using a simplified measuring approach

Abstract

Optimizing the output power of any PV module involves a number of factors, including the tilt angle, orientation angle and environmental conditions. However, many PV modules are not installed at the suggested orientation angle of 0° N in South Africa, thereby indicating a non-alignment to the maximum solar radiation available for a given day. The purpose of this research is to highlight the importance of this installation by validating its acceptance zone using a simplified measuring approach. Results confirm that the incident angle on a specific PV module installation varies around 44° for winter months. This indicates an acceptance zone of around 88°, which must be optimally aligned to the solar radiation curve, thereby yielding the optimum amount of output power for a given location.