sanity checking shading results

README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+Solar Calculations
+
+Solar Zenith: Angle between the position of the sun and vertical
+Solar Azimuth: Horizontal angle with respect to north of the Sun's position
+
+Shadow Length Formula: Height of object / tan(solar_zenith)

Utilities/Optimisation.py

@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ def optimise_vertical_panel_pitch(c):
         Returns:
             float: The negative of the energy production from vertical panels.
         """
+        pitch += c["panel"]["dimensions"]["thickness"]
         c["array"]["spacing"] = pitch
         logging.info(f"Optimizing with pitch: {pitch}m")
         vertical_energy, _ = calculate_energy_production_vertical(c)

Utilities/Processes.py

@@ -16,3 +16,13 @@ def calculate_no_of_panels(system_size, panel_peak_power):
     no_of_panels = np.ceil(system_size / panel_peak_power_kWp)
 
     return no_of_panels
+
+
+def calculate_required_system_size(c):
+    c["array"]["system_size"] = (
+        c["array"]["peak_power_demand"]
+        * c["array"]["DC_AC_ratio"]
+        * c["array"]["performance_ratio"]
+    )
+
+    return c

Utilities/Shading.py

@@ -5,9 +5,7 @@ import math
 
 import pvlib
 
-from Utilities.Processes import (
+from Utilities.Processes import calculate_no_of_panels, calculate_required_system_size
-    calculate_no_of_panels,
-)
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -23,7 +21,6 @@ def get_location(c):
 
 
 def define_grid_layout(c, panel_tilt):
-    # get number of panels required
     no_of_panels = calculate_no_of_panels(
         c["array"]["system_size"], c["panel"]["peak_power"]
     )
@@ -52,7 +49,7 @@ def define_grid_layout(c, panel_tilt):
     max_number_of_rows = np.floor(
         (
             c["environment"]["roof"]["dimensions"]["length"]
-            - (2 * c["array"]["edge_setback"] + c["panel"]["dimensions"]["length"])
+            - (2 * c["array"]["edge_setback"])
         )
         / pitch
     )
@@ -129,6 +126,7 @@ def get_solar_data(c):
 
 
 def calculate_energy_production_vertical(c):
+    c = calculate_required_system_size(c)
     panel_coordinates, no_of_panels = define_grid_layout(c, panel_tilt=90)
     solar_positions, clearsky_data = get_solar_data(c)
 
@@ -230,6 +228,9 @@ def calculate_energy_production_vertical(c):
 
 
 def calculate_energy_production_horizontal(c):
+    c["array"]["system_size"] = (
+        c["array"]["system_size"] * c["array"]["horizontal_max_capacity"]
+    )
     panel_coordinates, no_of_panels = define_grid_layout(c, panel_tilt=0)
     solar_positions, clearsky_data = get_solar_data(c)
 

config.yml

@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 array:
-  system_size: 900 # in kWp
+  peak_power_demand: 900 # in kWac
-  spacing: 21.8 # spacing between adjacent panel rows in m
+  DC_AC_ratio: 1.2 # ratio of DC to AC power
+  spacing: 0.4 # spacing between adjacent panel rows in m
   edge_setback: 1.8 # distance from the edge of the roof to the array
   roof_slope: 0
   slope: 0 # degrees from horizontal (+ve means shaded row is higher than the row in front)
+  horizontal_max_capacity: 0.75 # scale down due to peak power demand limit of NOVA
+  performance_ratio: 0.9 # ratio of actual energy output to the theoretical maximum
 
 simulation_date_time:
   start: 2025-03-30 00:00 # start date and time in ISO 8601 format
@@ -13,9 +16,9 @@ environment:
   roof:
     dimensions:
       # dimensions all in m
-      length: 100
+      length: 50
-      width: 125
+      width: 40
-    albedo: 0.8 # % of light reflected from the surface
+    albedo: 0.2 # % of light reflected from the surface
     tilt: 0 # degrees from horizontal
   location:
     latitude: 3.1186108758412945

main.py

@@ -36,29 +36,32 @@ optimal_pitch, vertical_energy, no_of_panels_vertical = optimise_vertical_panel_
 logger.info("Energy production for vertical panels calculated successfully.")
 logger.debug(f"Vertical Energy Production: {vertical_energy.sum()}")
 logger.debug("Number of panels: %d", no_of_panels_vertical)
+logger.debug(f"System size: {no_of_panels_vertical * c['panel']['peak_power']/1e3} kWp")
 
 horizontal_energy, no_of_panels_horizontal = calculate_energy_production_horizontal(c)
 logger.info("Energy production for horizontal panels calculated successfully.")
 logger.debug(f"Horizontal Energy Production: {horizontal_energy.sum()}")
 logger.debug("Number of panels: %d", no_of_panels_horizontal)
+logger.debug(
+    f"System size: {no_of_panels_horizontal * c['panel']['peak_power']/1e3} kWp"
+)
 
-NOVA_scaledown = 0.75
-
-horizontal_energy_scaled = horizontal_energy * NOVA_scaledown
 logger.info("Energy production for horizontal panels scaled down to NOVA requirement.")
 
 logger.info(
-    f"Energy production for horizontal panels: {np.round(horizontal_energy_scaled.sum(),0)} kWh"
+    f"Energy production for horizontal panels: {np.round(horizontal_energy.sum(),0)} kWh"
 )
+logger.info(f"No. of panels for horizontal orientation: {int(no_of_panels_horizontal)}")
 logger.info(
     f"Energy production for vertical panels: {np.round(vertical_energy.sum(),0)} kWh"
 )
+logger.info(f"No. of panels for vertical orientation: {int(no_of_panels_vertical)}")
 
 # overlay horizontal and vertical energy production
 pl.figure(figsize=(10, 6))
 pl.plot(
-    horizontal_energy_scaled.index,
+    horizontal_energy.index,
-    horizontal_energy_scaled.values,
+    horizontal_energy.values,
     label="Horizontal Panels",
 )
 pl.plot(vertical_energy.index, vertical_energy.values, label="Vertical Panels")