michel, Author at Node Engineering

RDEK feedback on Fort Steele Solar

Approval by the regional district

The board of Directors of the REGIONAL DISTRICT OF EAST KOOTENAY (RDEK) met on September 4, 2015 and decided to advise the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations (MFLNRO) that RDEK supports the Node Engineering Crown land application for an Investigative Licence to assess the potential for a solar farm on Crown land north of Kootenay Highway between Cranbrook and Fort Steele.

This resolution is on page 5 of the Minutes of RDEK board meeting

Notes: This is only one step toward the final approval, which has to be granted by the Crown.

Exceedance Probability

P90/P95 or Average?

In a normal distribution dataset, 50% of the points will be below the average and 50% above. Using the average to assess the performance and return of a solar project is risky. The results have 50% chance to be below the average.

Continue reading Exceedance Probability

Statistics

Solar data and statistics

The annual irradiation variance follow a normal distribution pattern (so-called bell curve) as shown in the graph below.

Continue reading Statistics

Power and energy costs

Cost of power vs Cost of energy

The relationship between cost of power and cost of energy is an important element to assess the feasibility of a solar project.

The chart below plots this relationship for 2 PV systems:

on fixed racks (Blue) and on Vertical Axis Trackers (Brown). Continue reading Power and energy costs

Tracking the sun

What is the most effective solar tracker?

The chart below summarizes the average annual energy production from PV systems installed in Cranbrook with various mounting configurations: Fixed and 5 types of tracking systems. Continue reading Tracking the sun

Solar energy in Cranbrook

How much energy can be generated by a solar farm near cranbrook?

Solar irradiation varies year after year and the actual yield depends on how the PV modules are mounted. Fixed racks are simpler, trackers are more complex but may improve significantly the harvest of energy. Continue reading Solar energy in Cranbrook

Solar energy in BC

Is there enough solar energy in BC? Where?

Ground solar irradiation can be estimated from satellite data.
The following map (produced by EcoSmart) shows the mean solar energy yield i.e. DC output of PV modules on a vertical axis tracking system. The calculations take into account the average temperature and its effect on PV efficiency. Continue reading Solar energy in BC

Solar Irradiation

GHI

The radiation reaching the earth’s surface can be represented in a number of different ways. Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI) is the total amount of radiation received from the sun on a surface horizontal to the ground. This value is of particular interest to photovoltaic installations and includes both Direct Normal Irradiance (DNI) and Diffuse Horizontal Irradiance (DIF). Continue reading Solar Irradiation