Design optimization for large-scale solar photovoltaic power plants in Uruguay

This article focuses on maximizing the relative net present value of a photovoltaic power plant by applying optimization techniques to its design. The case study refers to a 50 MW (AC) plant with parameters specific to the north-western region of Uruguay. Test scenarios are created by exploring variations in energy prices, contract duration, DC cable costs, project discount rate, among others. The control variables include the tilt of the photovoltaic panels, the number of series and parallel connections, the number of rows and columns of photovoltaic blocks in the sub-park, the distance between the rows, and the ratio of the DC power of the photovoltaic panels to the nominal AC power of the plant. According to the experimental results, the optimized relative net present value ranges from 1.37 to 1.39, with optimized capacity factors around 24%.