Optimization of solar panel installation structure to increase received radiation in Iran: An approach based on reducing structural diversity

• A three-module optimization framework limits solar panel structure diversity nationwide in Iran, reducing LCOE. • The method discretizes tilt angles to identify 22 standard structures optimizing solar irradiance with minimal loss. • Limiting structures to 2 or 3 results in less than 0.4% annual radiation loss and under 3% row spacing change. • This scalable approach balances cost reduction and performance, covering over 600 geographic locations effectively This study presents a framework to determine a finite number of affordable support structures around the world. A fundamental goal is to limit the number of structures, which limits the number of structures that have to be manufactured, which helps reduce the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) from a photovoltaic (PV) solar power plant. The framework has three main modules; the first module estimates the optimal tilt angle, the solar irradiance on the surface of the panel, and the spacing between rows of panels at the optimal tilt angle. The second module computes the maximum number of support structures needed by discretizing the tilt angle. The third module estimates the effect on solar irradiance received and the spacing between panel rows, using a limited number of optimized structures. By comparing the results obtained from the first module and the third module for a given geographic site, we can determine if a site-specific structure is required or one of the generic structures in the third module can be used. The framework that we developed utilized a wide geographic range − Iran − where we studied over 600 cities. According to the first module, the ideal tilt angle has a range from 25.5 to 36.5°, the maximum solar irradiation on the panel surface has a range from 1388 to 2491 [kWh/(m 2 ·yr)], and the spacing between panel rows varies from 1.94 times to 2.18 times the length of panels (strings). Based on the second module, the most required number of structures was determined at 22 using a discretization step of 0.5°. The third module was used to analyze limiting the number of structures to 2 and 3. In both cases, the expected reduction in annual irradiation from panels on an annual basis was assessed at each site to be less than 0.4%, and the expected percentage change in spacing between the panel rows was assessed at less than 3% for over 80% of the sites assessed. The maximum expected increase in irradiation when going from 2 structures to 3 was assessed to be less than 0.02%. When opting for 3 structures, the anticipated optimal tilt angles were 31°, 32.5°, approximately 33.5° with an anticipated frequency of 55%, 21%, and 24%, respectively. When opting for 2 structures, the anticipated optimal tilt angles were 31° and 33.5° with an anticipated frequency of 61% and 39%, respectively.