Javier García Molleja

Tutor: Bernat Codina (Universitat de Barcelona)

Co-Tutor: Graciela Salum (Yachay Tech)

MSc in Renewable Energy and Energetic Sustainability

Ecuador bets for a change of its energy matrix,relying on renewable energy.

Hydraulic energy will be the main powersource.

In isolated regions it will be necessary acombination between different renewablesources.

Solar energy is an interesting topic because ofthe geographical location of the country.

[globalsolaratlas.info]

The complex Ecuadorian orography (AndeanSierra) promotes the use of solar radiation.

However, at these average altitudes in theSierra (2000 masl) UV radiation is important.

Let’s focus on UVB component, because of thisradiation increases 19% each 1000 m of climb.

UVB radiation is very important: is anenergetic radiation with biological effects andprovokes material degradation.

A SYSM-20S solar panel(single crystalline Si) wasused. The characteristicparameters (Isc and Voc)were determined.

With thermocouple, panel(TP) and room (Ta)temperatures weremeasured.

The I-V curve wasobtained using a variableload.

FF = 0.747hSTC = 11.5%RS = 3.78 W

RP = 2657.09 W

The region of study was Ibarra (Ecuador)located at 0.337024ºN; 78.145163ºW, 2220 masl,UTC-5.

Measurements were performed under clear skycondition on 7/16/2017.

Solar noon was at 12:18 pm.

A characterization of solar panel parametersallows to determine the solar radiation receivedduring this day.

The effects of UVB radiation (290 - 320 nm)were considered, too.

Isc grows with the local time and reaches amaximum at solar noon. After this, currentdecreases.

On the other hand, Voc is almost the same whenTP is high.

It is clear that Isc has the same behavior thanGP.

If STC parameters are known, a relationshipbetween them is possible.

Estimated values are similar to the ones ofother experimental studies.

Using satellite databases allow to know theweather condition during measurements.

SMARTS2 model of solar radiation was usedwith these weather parameters as inputs inorder to know the spectral irradiances.

Fixing values similar to the ones obtainedduring the noon is a good technique to obtainSMARTS2 irradiance predictions for eachmeasurement.

AOD550 = 0.131O3 = 257.6 DU

CO2 = 405.75 ppmTa = 24.2 ºCRH = 54.4%

PWC = 2.61 cmAlbedo = 0.17

The area of the Gaussian curve gives theinsolation during the day: 8.975 kWh/m2.

During the day the weight of each spectralrange on the total irradiance changes.

UV radiation behaves similar to the totalirradiance and VIS and IR ranges behave in aopposite manner.

Lower efficiencies are detected at higher GP

and TP values.

With SMARTS2 is possible to identify theatmospheric state during measurements.

With this model several characteristics can beanalyzed: atmospheric turbidity, the O3

contribution, Rayleigh scattering, aerosols andH2O vapor.

According to theequation of theefficiency, at higherTP a decrease of h

must be detected.This is caused bythe k parameter.

In our experimentthis is confirmed.

Qualitatively, both irradiances have the samebehavior.

UVB insolation was 0.031 kWh/m2.

There is a relationship between bothirradiances.

This relationship is dependent on time, so itbehaves like a function.

A quadratic relationship is proposed in thepresent work.

A clearrelationshipbetween efficiencyand UVBirradiance was notdetected.

Higher GP, lesserh.

This is caused bythe arrival ofhigher amounts ofIR photons, withenergy below theband gap.

Ibarra is located at an altitude where UVBphotons can arrive to the surface.

These photons have very high energy, so in thesemiconductor thermalization processes can bedeveloped.

This process could be related to a TP increase.

High temperatures developed by highirradiances cause, in a long period of time,early panel degradation.

TNOCT = 49 ºCb = 0.036 ºCm2/W

We studied the behavior of a SYSM-20S solarpanel at Ibarra (Ecuador) and the influence ofthe solar radiation on this panel.

Measurements were carried on under clear skyconditions on 7/16/2017.

Several I-V and P-V curves were performed.

With a simple equation is possible to find arelationship between Isc and GP.

Using these values and the SMARTS2 modelthe total global and the UVB insolations weredetermined: 8.975 kWh/m2 and 0.031 kWh/m2,respectively.

On the other hand, it was verified that lower hvalues are reached when GP and TP valuesincrease.

SMARTS2 determined that Rayleigh scattering andaerosols absorb the shortwave radiation and thatthe water vapor absorbs the longwave radiation.

A linear relationship between h and TP wasproved.

GP and GUVB are related with a quadratic functiondependent on time.

h decreases when GP (and GUVB) reach high values.

GUVB has an important influence on TP viathermalization effects.

To the jury of this conference:

Camila Barreneche (Universitat de Barcelona)

Alejandro Calderón (Universitat de Barcelona)

To my tutors, Bernat and Graciela

To my wife, parents, friends and students

To UNIBA3001 group, and Saravana, Brunaand Eduardo

To our beloved and mistreated planet Earth