SOLAR TODAY - January/February 2012

PV Power Map

September 2011

PV Generation
Potential
for september
and october

This issue SOLAR TODAY debuts PV Power Map, where each issue we present an updated report of national irradiance levels as illustrated by solar power potential for a recent month or two. Go to solartoday.org/pvpowermap to reference maps throughout the year.

The PV Power Map provides a unique view of the total monthly power output of a 1-kilowatt (k W) photovoltaic (PV) system by location. Anyone interested in PV can use the PV Power Map to quickly gauge the generation potential of a new PV system, or benchmark the performance of an installed system, in a given location. Simply multiply the power output indicated on the PV Power Map by a project’s capacity, in kilowatts, to calculate total estimated power output for the month.

Insolation can vary materially from month to month or year to year, so it’s important to utilize multiple years of irradiance data to generate bankable power estimates. Access free historical irradiance data at solaranywhere.com.

The PV Power Map is created with power output estimates generated by Clean Power Research’s SolarAnywhere services, which include simulation capabilities and hourly satellite-derived irradiance data with a spatial resolution of 10 kilometers. The calculations are based on a representative PV system with a total 1-k W nameplate rating. The representative system is configured as five 200-watt PV panels with a 1.5-k W inverter; fixed, south-facing panels with 30 degree tilt; no shading; panel PVUSA Test Conditions (PTC) rating of 178 watts; and inverter efficiency of 95.5 percent. Visualization and mapping provided by GeoModel Solar. ST

0 200 400 Miles 0 250 500 Kilometerseptember 2011 eptember 2011

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October 2011

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october 2011

k Wh/k W peak

0 200 400 Miles

0 250 500 Kilometers

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Map cartography:
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Data source:
SolarAnywhere © 2011 Clean Power Research
http://cleanpower.com