Power output modeling for cylindrical solar panels in quad arrays: influence of geometric parameters

The use of cylindrical solar panels, designed to power electric pole-mounted devices, offers notable advantages, such as always presenting a side towards the sun and a heightened sensitivity to the diffuse component of solar radiation. A central pole quad array configuration can significantly enhance energy output but introduces the issue of minimizing the distance from the pole to avoid complex structural engineering.This study introduces a model to predict the power output of a central pole quad array based on its geometric parameters, such as the distance between the cylindrical panels and the central pole and the array’s azimuthal orientation. The model incorporates environmental data and distinguishes between direct and diffuse solar radiation components. Additionally, it accounts for the mutual shading effects among panels, enabling the generation of a power output profile over time and providing an estimate of the daily energy output.The model is then applied to evaluate the energy performance of the system as a function of the distance between the pole and panels and the array’s azimuthal orientation. Results indicate that the azimuthal orientation has a significant impact on the system’s energy yield, with variations of up to 10% achievable by simply adjusting the installation angle. Furthermore, it was found that the optimal azimuthal angle is not fixed but depends on the chosen pole-to-panel distance.