TOPIC 4: Photovoltaic Systems
THIS TOPIC ADDRESSES INDIVIDUAL PV PLANTS, WHERE PLANT SIZE CAN RANGE FROM A FEW MODULES TO MULTI-MW SYSTEMS. CONSEQUENTLY, THIS IS THE PLACE FOR CONTRIBUTIONS ON SYSTEMS DESIGN, SIZING, MODELLING, PERFORMANCE AND OPERATIONS.THIS TOPIC IS ALSO ABOUT INTEGRATION OF PV, E.G., PV INTEGRATED INTO BUILDINGS (BIPV), INFRASTRUCTURE INTEGRATED PV (I2PV), FLOATING PV AND VEHICLE INTEGRATED PV (VIPV). AGRI-PV HAS NOW ITS OWN SPECIFIC SUBTOPIC.4.5. CONCENTRATOR PV AND SPACE APPLICATIONS OF PV ARE LOCATED IN SUBTOPIC 4.6. SPECIFIC TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS ADDRESSING SUSTAINABILITY AT SYSTEM LEVEL SHOULD ALSO BE SUBMITTED HERE. THE SUBTOPIC ON SOLAR RESOURCES AND FORECASTING IS RELEVANT TO INDIVIDUAL SYSTEMS AND COVERS SCALES RANGING FROM THE LOCAL TO LARGE GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS. THE EMPLOYMENT OF BATTERIES IN STAND-ALONE SYSTEMS OR FOR LOCAL USE MAY FORM PART OF SYSTEMS REPORTED IN THIS TOPIC, BUT STORAGE RELATED TO THE COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY SYSTEM IS DEALT WITH IN SUBTOPIC 5.1. ADVANCES IN POWER ELECTRONICS FOR ADVANCED GRID FUNCTIONALITY ARE ALSO DEALT WITH IN SUBTOPIC 5.1. THE PREVIOUS POWER CONVERTERS AND BALANCE OF SYSTEM (BOS) COMPONENTS SUBTOPIC IN TOPIC 3 IS NOW LOCATED IN SUBTOPIC 4.2.
4.1 Solar Resource and Forecasting
Solar resource assessment, measurements and monitoring, meteorological forecasting, now-casting, analysis of ground station and satellite data.
Abstracts which deal with all PV relevant solar radiation science, models and tools are placed here.
4.2 Design, Engineering and Installation of PV Systems; BoS
This subtopic deals with individual PV power plants: Planning, plant optimization tools, cost analyses, advanced installation criteria, construction and safety issues; Power Electronics and Electrical Grid Interface; Power Converters and other Balance of System Components are also covered here.
This is the subtopic for the design, engineering, realization and commissioning of entire PV systems.
As well, the important components of single PV systems such as inverters, micro-inverters, power optimisers, monitoring systems, charge controllers, safety switches, mounting structures, trackers, cabling; measurements and testing of performance and reliability.
Work which focuses on how a system interacts with the grid is dealt with in subtopic 5.1.
4.3 Operation, Performance and Maintenance of PV Systems
Monitoring, predictive, preventive and corrective maintenance, system failure analysis, system reliability, operational safety.
Papers which describe the operational experience of systems in use are placed here. Of particular interest are maintenance-related cost analyses as well as methods for system modelling and predicting technical lifetimes.
Work which focuses on how a system interacts with the grid is dealt with in subtopic 5.1.
4.4 PV and Buildings
Design, and architectural aspects of BIPV and BAPV; zero energy buildings; PV products for buildings; building, environment, safety and other regulatory aspects.
This subtopic will collect all contributions describing how PV systems are placed on or are integrated into buildings, covering both functional and aesthetic aspects. All types of buildings are considered - residential, office, commercial, and industrial. Related ancillary equipment is also considered and how the whole system is integrated and performs, e.g., electric and thermal performance, heat pumps, integrated mounting structures, balcony PV, multi-functionality (including testing and regulatory aspects).
4.5 Agri-PV
Design solutions, implementation and performance of PV in combined use with agriculture (Agri-PV) and in nature (‘Eco-PV’).
This subtopic will collect all contributions describing how PV systems are combined with agriculture, and also in nature and the environment which surrounds us, including ecological impacts. The synergies between the PV system and the agricultural system are also aspects of importance. These are electrical energy productions, impacts on agricultural production (both qualitatively and quantitatively), overall economic value, environmental impact, etc.
4.6 Other Innovative PV Applications; PV in Space
Design solutions, implementation and performance of PV in/on transport infrastructure (including parking lots), on water (floating PV); Vehicle integrated PV (VIPV); Concentrator PV (CPV); Thermophotovoltaic energy conversion (TPV); Indoor PV. Space applications of PV.
This subtopic covers floating PV (inland or in open water), and also collects all contributions describing how PV systems are placed on or are integrated into infrastructure (e.g., linearPV on roads, railways, carparks). PV integrated into vehicles (VIPV) is also covered here, as well as indoor applications.
Design and measurement of concentrator solar cells, assemblies and CPV modules, and also optical systems, mounting structures and trackers, are included in this subtopic.
New this year, space applications of PV are included in this subtopic, covering cell technologies and complete systems. The field of photovoltaics for space is constantly evolving and innovating to meet the challenges and opportunities of the fast-growing space economy, and abstracts related to III-V cell technology for space applications, but also silicon and other cell/array level technologies for space applications, should be submitted to this subtopic.
4.7 Direct Uses of PV Generated Electricity
Direct uses of PV generated electricity, e.g., desalination, P2X (solar fuels and green Hydrogen). Technology and engineering of storage systems and their integration.
Industrial applications in which PV generated electricity is converted directly into a useful product or service, including conversion of PV electricity into other energy carriers are also included here, e.g., PV-to-gas/fuels including hydrogen production (P2X); Water desalination, sterilization and upgrading; PV process heat/industrial processes.
The technology and engineering aspects of storage systems are covered in this subtopic, but their use in guaranteeing flexibility in the wider energy system is covered in subtopic 5.1. Storage integrated locally in a PV system is also included here when the novelty is in the storage aspects.
