Prefeasibility Study of a Solar Power Plant Project and Optimization of a Meteorological Station Performance

 

W. Derouich^1,2 , M. Besbes*¹, J. D. Olivencia²

 

¹ High School of Technology and Computer Science, University of Carthage 45 rue des entrepreneurs, Charguia 2, Tunis Carthage 2035 Tunisia. *mongi.besbes@gmail.com

² International Business Development Department, ABENGOA SOLAR, Spain.

 

Abstract

A prefeasibility study of a solar power plant project was carried out in order to study and search the best location to install a concentrated solar power plant according to a tender with the Algerian electricity company "SPE" following a specific criteria and methodology in order to obtain a site with a maximum possible irradiation along with other economic constraints. Normally, eleven years of solar irradiation data from an on-ground weather station is needed for site assessment, such data are not available, hence the typical meteorological year irradiation based on satellite imagery results is needed in order to have the accurate value, therefore we can give the right evaluation for the site candidate. Additionally, an analysis of a weather measurement station was carried out to ensure the proper functioning of the weather data reception and analysis processes, and thus to optimize the algorithm of a data logger in order to get the right measurement with a minimum error. The correction algorithm was developed by weather scientists and was added to the data logger main program.

Keywords: Site assessment, satellite imagery, direct normal irradiation, data logger, correction algorithm, meteorological station, pyranometer.

 

Resumen

Un estudio de prefactibilidad de un proyecto de planta solar se lleva a cabo para estudiar y buscar la mejor ubicación, esto es para instalar una planta de energía solar concentrada, de acuerdo con un petición de oferta a la compañía eléctrica Argelina SPE, siguiendo los criterios y la metodología específica para obtener un sitio con un máximo posible de irradiación. Normalmente, se necesitan once años de datos de irradiación solar de la estación meteorológica para la evaluación del sitio. Estos datos no están disponibles, por lo que necesitamos la TMY basado en los resultados de las imágenes de satélite para tener el valor preciso. Por lo tanto, podemos dar a la evaluación correcta para el sitio. Un análisis de medición de una estación meteorológico se efectuó por asegurar el buen funcionamiento de la recepción de datos de la estación meteorológica, y consecuentemente lleva a optimizar el algoritmo de la data logger para obtener la medida correcta con un error mínimo posible. El algoritmo de corrección fue creado por meteorólogos y fue agregado al programa principal de data logger.

 

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