A STUDY ON THE OPTIMUM POSITIONING OF SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC PANELS IN SINGAPORE

Abstract

Being a country with no natural resources, Singapore has to import energy to ensure continuity of its economic activity. In recent years, the rising cost of energy has become a strain for the nation as a whole. Hence, in order for Singapore to remain competitive, there is a need to substitute the source of energy used. Photovoltaic panel is the only viable alternative that could be used in Singapore. However due to its long payback period, many firms are reluctant to rely on solar energy. Hence, in order to encourage the adoption of photovoltaic panels, the research aims to reduce the payback period by investigating the angle and orientation that would allow photovoltaic panels to generate the most energy in Singapore. Since the amount of energy generated is influenced by the amount of radiation collected, the research determined the optimum positioning which resulted in the highest total radiation collected on a solar panel surface for a selected period of time. Autodesk Ecotech Analysis 2011 simulation software was used in this research to determine the total radiation on the simulated photovoltaic panel at each tilt and orientation. The result shows that the optimum positioning is northwest orientation 4°. In addition, it was found that each calendar month has its own unique optimum tilt and orientation. Overall, the optimum positioning is exposed to 1695.094 kWh of radiation per metre square and it is able to receive 3.99% more radiation when it is compared to panels that are positioned towards east-orientation and at a 15° tilt recommended by BCA.. The research also undertook another level of analysis to determine the optimum angle of each orientation in order to allow the end user to achieve the highest amount of radiation possible throughout the year if they are unable to position their panel toward northwest direction.