Photovoltaic

Fixed Plants (Conventional)

Introduction to Technology

Fixed PV plants do not utilize tracking to continuously follow the sun and therefore do not perform as well as tracking PV systems. Fixed PV plants are generally set at an inclination that will receive the greatest irradiation throughout the course of a year. This inclination level largely depends on the latitude at which the panels are installed, and are sometimes adjusted for summer or winter optimization.

Requirements

Fixed PV plants often utilize conventional or thin film semiconductors since more expensive semiconductor technology is often not economically feasible. For fixed PV plants to be practical, certain requirements must be met:

Favorable Weather: Economic feasibility and performance feasibility depend on the amount of radiation that falls onto the solar system.
Topography: A flat surface eases the design and construction of a solar system.
Grid connectivity: In order to take advantage of the electricity produced by a solar system it must be able to easily connect to the electric grid.