16/03/2023
Each geographic location has specific climate and environmental circumstances rendering different forms of renewable energy generation more efficient. During the year, additional seasonal patterns can shift the main benefits from one energy form to another, the energy consumption might be subject to fluctuation, or there are restrictions in terms of assets positioning. All those factors should be taken into account before investing time and money into any specific technology.
Two most accessible sources of renewable energy globally are solar and wind energy, just at different levels of productivity. To make the right choices let’s look at fast ways of estimating the levels of available wind and solar energy in a specific geographical location and their optimum exploitation. As aid, we are using a Site Environmental Awareness report (https://atsea.fi) which can be easily obtained for any geographical location worldwide.
Most online resources quote the insolation, meaning available solar energy expressed usually as kWh/sqm (kilowatt hours per square meter), for a horizontal surface. Luckily, our atSEA report has a handy table showing the annual sum for different mounting angles of solar panels and as relative losses in percent if we are unable to mount at the most efficient tilt and orientation. The numbers show the annual sum of available insolation; ho at the darker part of the year due to higher latitude location and it would be interesting if we could optimize the mounting position of the panels towards those months. The report includes the monthly distributions for few main tilt angles assuming that direct sun radiation is only available when sun’s altitude is at least 5 degrees above the horizon – healthy assumption for residential areas. What an interesting outcome for our location! In spring and fall, we could produce about as much electricity using wall mounted (vertical = 90 deg tilt) panels as from panels mounted at optimum tilt (50 deg in our case).
Continue reading: https://atsea.fi/how-to-estimate-renewable-energy-efficiency-in-the-area/
During the year, additional seasonal patterns can shift the main benefits from one energy form to another, the energy consumption might be subject to fluctuation, or there are restrictions in terms of assets positioning. How to validate renewable energy capabilities in the area?
