Category: Tag: Solar radiation modeling
Fig. 1: An Energy3D model of the SAS solar farmFig. 2: Daily production data (Credit: Xan Gregg)SAS, a software company based in Cary, NC, is powered by a solar farm consisting of solar panel arrays driven by horizontal single-axis trackers (HSAT) with…
Schools have plenty of roof space that can be turned into small power plants to provide electricity to students. Many schools have already taken actions. Some teachers even use the subject matter in their teaching. But in most cases, students are not profoundly involved in solarizing their own schools. Fig. 1: Google Map 3D vs. […]
Fig. 1: PS20 field output heat map (June, 22) Fig. 2: PS20 field output heat map (December, 22) Fig. 3: Fermat spiral layout (6/22, Phoenix, AZ) In an earlier article, I have discussed the concepts and issues (shadowing, blocking, cosine efficiency, etc.) related to the design of heliostat layouts for concentrated solar power (CSP) tower […]
Fig. 1: Visualizing shadowing loss As a one-stop-shop for solar solutions, Energy3D supports the design of concentrated solar power (CSP) stations. Although the main competitor of the CSP technology, the photovoltaic (PV) power stations, have become dominant in recent years due to the plummet of PV panel price, CSP has its own advantages and potential, […]
Fig. 1: HSAT and VSAT.Energy3D now supports three major types of solar trackers: Horizontal single-axis trackers (HSAT), vertical single-axis trackers (VSAT), and altazimuth dual-axis trackers (AADAT). I have blogged about HSAT and AADAT earlier. Figur…
Fig. 1 2D view of Concord Consortium building in Energy3DSolar design depends on accurate geometry. Rooftop solar panel design requires accurate 3D models of buildings, for example the shape of the roof, the height of the building, and the surrounding …
In the last post, I have blogged about modeling dual-axis solar trackers in Energy3D. To be more precise, the trackers shown in that blog post are altitude-azimuth (Alt/Az), or altazimuth trackers, or AADAT in short. In this post, I will introduce a ty…
Fig. 1: Solar panel arrays in Energy3D A solar tracker is a system that automatically turns a solar panel or a reflector toward the sun in order to maximize the energy output of a solar power station. It is often said to be inspired by the sunflower. In general, trackers can be categorized into two […]
Computer modeling with Energy3D The free Solar Engineering Summer Camp offered by the Concord Consortium was an intensive week-long event that focused on learning and applying solar science, 3D modeling, and engineering design. It featured a solar engineer from a leading solar company as a guest speaker. The activities included hands-on and computer-based activities that […]
Concentrated solar power (CSP) systems generate electricity using arrays of mirrors to concentrate sunlight shed on a large area onto a small area. The concentrated light is converted into thermal energy, which then drives a heat engine connected to an…