Impact of Solar Panel Orientation on the Integration of Solar Energy in Low-Voltage Distribution Grids

Abstract

In Belgium, and many other countries, rooftop solar panels are becoming a ubiquitous form of decentralised energy production. The increasing share of these distributed installations however imposes many challenges on the operators of the low-voltage distribution grid. They must keep the voltage levels and voltage balance on their grids in check and are often regulatory required to provide sufficient reception capacity for new power producing installations. By placing solar panels in different inclinations and azimuth angles, power production profiles can possibly be shifted to align more with residential power consumption profiles. In this article, it is investigated if the orientation of solar panels can have a mitigating impact on the integration problems on residential low voltage distribution grids. An improved simulation model of a solar panel installation is constructed, which is used to simulate the impact on a residential distribution grid. To stay as close to real-life conditions as possible, real irradiation data and a model of an existing grid are used. Both the developed model as the results on grid impact are evaluated.