Comparative Study of Solar Energy on Inclined and Horizontal Surface

Abstract

The availability of solar energy in any location on the earth surface is affected by the time of the day, and the seasons. Therefore, accurate knowledge of the quantity available at any location and time and the dynamics is imperative for solar power system design and installation. In this study, comparative study of global solar irradiance on horizontal and inclined surfaces was carried out with the consideration of the prevailing atmospheric conditions and seasons in Minna, Nigeria. The outdoor degradation analysis was carried out on a monocrystalline PV module rated 10 W. Two Li-200SA MA200 pyranometer sensors incorporated with CR1000 software-based data logging system with computer interface; one inclined at the latitude of the location and the other placed horizontally at the same test plane and at about three meters of height were employed to measure global solar irradiance for three years. The logger was programmed to measure and log solar irradiance at every 5 minutes intervals from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm local time for the duration of 3 years from 2016 to 2018. Data analysis was carried out to obtain the hourly, daily, monthly and yearly global energy dynamics on the two surfaces using Excel spread sheet. The result shows seasonal variations and on average the inclined surface has the greater amount of energy per year but not for all seasons of the year. The results acquired can be applied in the location for effective solar planning system.