Multi-objective Planning of Large-Scale Photovoltaic Power Plants
The task of planning photovoltaic power plants is far from trivial. This complex optimization problem combines aspects of placement problems and constraint satisfaction problems, and several interdependent goals must be considered. This paper describes th
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1 Introduction Photovoltaic (PV) power plants play a decisive role in switching the global energy supply from fossil to renewable energies [1]. Compared to typical roof-top PV installations, it is a complex task to design the layout of a large-scale power plant due to a variety of free optimization parameters, many interdependent goals, and rather complex design principles [2]. Without further support, it is very hard for the responsible engineers to estimate the impact of their design decisions on the plant’s overall technical and economic efficiency. While this is already the case with a single objective function to be optimized, the situation gets even more difficult when trying to balance the different objectives, of which many are contradicting on top of that. In this paper, we present the problem of designing a large-scale PV power plant and describe our solution approach: We provide the engineer with a multitude of reasonable plant layouts, each having its own benefits and drawbacks for the different objectives. For each layout, we determine a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) using detailed financial calculations and a simulation of the plant’s performance. Here, the topography and weather data for the area on which the plant is to be built are considered [3]. Based on these KPIs, the engineer can choose the best layout in a multicriterial decision support system. We illustrate the superiority of our multiobjective approach compared to single-objective methods with the help of some examples and report on the practical usage of our software tool at Siemens Energy.
M. Bischoff Siemens AG, Energy Sector, Hugo-Junkers-Str. 15-17, Nürnberg 90411, Germany e-mail: [email protected] H. Ewe · K. Plociennik · I. Schüle(B) Fraunhofer ITWM, Fraunhofer Platz 1, Kaiserslautern 67663, Germany e-mail: [email protected] S. Helber et al. (eds.), Operations Research Proceedings 2012, Operations Research Proceedings, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-00795-3_49, © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014
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2 Problem Description In a large-scale PV plant, PV modules convert the sun’s irradiation into continuous electrical current which is converted into alternating current by inverters. The voltage is then increased by transformers, and finally the electrical power is fed into the grid. Given the outline and topography of an area on which a customer wants to build a plant, the engineer has to find the best possible layout. This includes choosing the right module and inverter types and defining the number and positions of the components like the service and cable ways, the so called tables carrying the PV modules, and the inverters. Also, the tables have to be assigned to the inverters. Finally, the cables’ routing has to be computed and cross sections have to be chosen to meet certain safety standards and to limit cable losses. What “the best” layout is depends on different aspects like the customer’s preferences regarding the technical and financial KPIs, the latitu
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