Solar PV Tree: Shade-Free Design and Cost Analysis Considering Indian Scenario

Abstract

In this paper, the performance and the cost-effectiveness of a solar PV tree for supplying the energy demand of a flood lighting system at a basketball court in the School of Engineering and Technology, Christ (Deemed to be University) at Bangalore, India, are analyzed. Also, the energy demand of a flood lighting system for year 2017 is estimated (16 kWh/day), and the design of 4 individual trees of 1 kWp each is proposed, which saves around 40 sq.m area of land near to the basketball court. The experimental data was collected from June 1st, 2018 to May 31st, 2019, using a data acquisition system and processed to calculate the monthly cost of energy produced by each tree. In order to reduce the complexity in design and allow it to be shade-free, all the panels of a tree were oriented at the same azimuth angle. Based on technical and economical assessments with respect to rooftop systems, the solar PV tree presented reasonable results and could be a future adoptable technology for high population density areas, as well as for remote applications. Later, the adoptability of the proposed solar PV tree was simulated for 2 kWp, considering the climatic conditions of 2020, for different rural and urban locations of India. From the techno-economic-environmental analysis, it is highlighted that the annual energy yield is more with the solar PV tree model than with a land-mounted SPV system. The cost savings and greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction are also higher with the proposed oak tree-based solar PV tree in urban areas than in rural areas recommending it for practical applications.