Energy Efficiency Analysis of East-West Oriented Photovoltaic Systems for Buildings: A Technical-Economic-Environmental Approach

Abstract

This research is based on achieving modular solutions for photovoltaic solar systems (PVSS) in buildings. Several studies tend to inadequately address the analysis of photovoltaic (PV) module orientation, often relying on the conventional south-facing orientation. The objective is to analyze and compare the influence of PV module orientation. Therefore, two proposed PVSS were analyzed, incorporating module orientation and inclination variations. A hotel electrical consumption study was conducted in 2018-2019. The incidence of shadows over the roofed surfaces of the building was analyzed from a three-dimensional model using Sketchup software. The annual and monthly generation, as well as the performance of the installation, were estimated using PVsyst software for each projected arrangement. An economic and environmental study was carried out for these proposals to remark on their feasibility and influence on environmental protection. As a result, the east-west oriented PV system is the most efficient and feasible with a peak power of 113.24 kWp and a Performance Ratio (PR) of 0.80. The east-west oriented proposal allows avoiding emissions of 301 421 TCO2 into the atmosphere. These promising results were due to both PV modules physical orientation and their lower daily working temperature. Also, an increase in electrical production per module and an optimization of the surface are achieved. These results highlight the significance of this research as they encourage the adoption of these systems, leading to improved investment recovery periods and enhanced environmental conservation efforts.