PVSYST software for better energy efficiency of a grid-connected photovoltaic power station

The paper presents a classification of solar tracking systems used in photovoltaic power stations (PVS) and their operating principles. A simulation model of a grid-connected 5-kW PVS has been developed in PVsyst, to which end the researchers selected PVS equipment and optimized the PV cell tilt angles. The paper further analyzes a grid-connected PVS in Orenburg Oblast in PVsyst under the following configurations: static PV cells, not tilted vs seasonally varied tilts; single-axis solar trackers with vertical and horizontal axes of rotation vs a dual-axis solar tracker. The analysis is based on solar insolation data for 2019 obtained from the research team’s HP-2000 weather station. Dual-axis solar tracker and single-axis vertical trackers are shown to have the best year-round generation, providing an increase of 13.2% and 11.5%, respectively, against the static PV cells (no change in tilt).