Predicting high or low transfer efficiency of photovoltaic systems using a novel hybrid methodology combining rough set theory, data envelopment analysis and genetic programming

Abstract

Solar energy has become an important energy source in recent years as it generates less pollution than other energies. A photovoltaic (PV) system, which typically has many components, converts solar energy into electrical energy. With the development of advanced engineering technologies, the transfer efficiency of a PV system has been increased from low to high. The combination of components in a PV system influences its transfer efficiency. Therefore, when predicting the transfer efficiency of a PV system, one must consider the relationship among system components. This work accurately predicts whether transfer efficiency of a PV system is high or low using a novel hybrid model that combines rough set theory (RST), data envelopment analysis (DEA), and genetic programming (GP). Finally, real data-set are utilized to demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed method. © 2012 by the authors.