Global warming – the irreversible heating of the planet’s atmosphere – has become a real and constant danger to life as we know it. With the sun capable of providing more than enough energy to meet the entire world’s energy needs, photo-voltaic (PV) energy systems have become an important means to supply an inexhaustible, non-contaminating and sustainable source of power, significantly decreasing the carbon footprint generated by fossil fuels. With a worldwide goal of reducing global warming from current levels to 45% by 2030 and Net Zero by 2050, the need to develop wholly reliable PV systems has become of critical urgency.
Measuring the reliability of PV systems, which are highly complex and multi-faceted in nature, has posed a singular challenge to professionals in the field. Large solar farms face considerable risks, influenced by temperature, power losses, and ambient environment, all of which can damage PV cells and degrade efficiency.
Despite the fact that concerns over the reliability of PV cells were identified four decades ago, most studies until now have focused on a single or specific component or simplistic models. They have yet been unable to devise an accurate method to calculate reliability of entire PV generation stations.
At HIT’s Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, reliability engineering is a key area of focus. Dr. David Elmakis, head of the Reliability Engineering Track, together with his student, Daniella Cohen, set out to devise a new way to quantify reliability of solar energy farms in the dual simulation that they designed and implemented in their lab on the HIT campus.
Reliability characterizations are crucial in research of PV power systems. They help optimize performance, maximize ROI through cost-effectiveness, ensure safety and longevity of equipment, while ultimately facilitating the techno-economic optimization enhancing efficiency while reducing cost. PV power systems are dependent on the proper function and interaction of its multiple components, and without accurate means to measure their total reliability and prevent potential failures in maintenance, monitoring, and quality assurance, the chance of achieving high performance is near impossible.
Elmakis and Cohen strategically chose to simulate 2 PV power systems, which allowed them to evaluate production output and study the complex system dynamics of the multiple, interconnected components.
The team employed a random predictability method which allowed them to address component failures, repair rates and downtime in their model, and which provided them with a quantitative framework to analyze different states of the system and its transitions.
Their well-conceived analysis yielded impressive results as compared to other studies: 83% and 88% in reliability indices. These findings can be attributed to many aspects of the research, such as the comprehensive reliability data collection, advanced methodology, and realistic system design.
The research has significant implications for the reliability and accessibility of solar energy, particularly within the context of commercial solar energy enterprises. It holds huge potential for optimizing system design and improving reliability; it enhances the economic viability of solar energy, and provides policy makers and regulatory bodies with the statistically tools they require to advance solar solutions in order to achieve renewable energy targets.
Continued study of reliability indices for PV systems by Dr. Elmakis and Ms. Cohen, particularly hybrid systems, will undoubtedly continue to drive innovation and progress in the field of solar energy, contributing to a healthier and more sustainable environment.
Dr. David Elmakis is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering at the Holon Institute of Technology. He formerly was Senior Vice President of Planning, Development and Technology at the Israel Electric Corporation, bringing years of industry experience to the fore in his academic pursuits. He is the author of over 40 articles in professional journals, 3 books, his latest published by Springer entitled “New Computational Methods in Power System Reliability.”
Daniella Cohen is an M.Sc. student in HIT’s Faculty of Electrical and Electronics Engineering and is the first to graduate with an M.SC with thesis from the Faculty. Her academic background, coupled with her research acumen and commitment to advancing clean solar energy as a sustainable alternative to traditional fossil fuels, has positioned her as an important emerging figure in the field of renewable energy.
