Photovoltaic productivity maps for Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil)

Abstract

This article presents the methodology that was used to produce photovoltaic potential maps in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, and the results achieved. Data from 33 automatic weather stations installed in the RGS were compiled, including a series of hourly data recorded over more than 15 years. With procedures well known in the literature, the solar irradiation data were separated into the direct and diffuse components to calculate solar irradiation on tilted surfaces at different orientations. The impact of glass reflection on the top cover of conversion equipment was also calculated for different orientation angles. Using the methodology presented in this work, the photovoltaic potential was calculated as an annual average and a seasonal average. For the interpolation between the stations, the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF) was used, adapted by the company UL Truepower for the climatology of southern Brazil. This work was part of the elaboration of the Solar Atlas of Rio Grande do Sul, published in late 2018.