Solar technologies

The current CEA simulates three solar technologies: photovoltaic panels, photovoltaic thermal panels, and solar thermal collectors. The simulation is performed by three scripts: photovoltaic.py, photovoltaic_thermal.py, and solar_collectors.py in cea/technologies/ folder.

Following are the steps to run the solar technology scripts: (take photovoltaic.py as an example)

  1. Prepare radiation files by running radiation_main.py

  2. Specify inputs:

    • min_radiation : A user input. Minimum radiation threshold to install solar panels, represented as % of the maximum solar radiation in the district.

    • type_PVpanel: A list of panels in ..databases/systems/supply_systems.xls FIXME: this doesn’t seem to be a list input, rather select one from the list??

    • worst_hour: Site specific input. First hour of sunrise on the solar solstice at the case study location.

    • misc_losses: Default input. Losses from cabling, resistances etc..

    • pvonroof: A user input. True if allow PV installed on roofs.

    • pvonwall: A user input. True if allow PV installed on walls.

    • longitude: Site specific input. Longitude of the case study location.

    • latitude: Site specific input. Latitude of the case study location.

    • date_start: Default input. From global variable.

  3. Expected outputs:

    • A file Building_name_PV.csv is produced for each building, which is saved at SCENARIO/outputs/data/solar-radiation. It includes the hourly electricity production from the PV panels.

References

Schweizerischer Ingenieur- und Architektenverein (SIA). (2006). Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen für die Energie- und Gebäudetechnik Merkbatt 2024. Zürich.