The Arizona Research Institute for Solar Energy

http://www.azrise.org

Joseph H. Simmons, DirectorJoey Pouliot, Corporate Affiliates program manager

University of Arizona

UA and the Arizona Research Institute for Solar Energy

• AzRISE was formed at the University of Arizona in 2007

• Initially funded by the Arizona Board of Regents ; Currently funded by several corporate affiliates.

AzRISE

Economics &Public Policy

TechnologyR & D

Education &Outreach

• AzRISE is composed of faculty, staff

and students from the Colleges of: Engineering Science Optical Science Architecture Agriculture Business

AzRISE supports about 23 projects with over 60 students.

• Vision: a world powered by renewable, clean energy where solar energy provides its natural share through the development of economic and efficient conversion devices and reliable energy storage systems.

• Mission: to enable multi-disciplinary research, development and practical implementation of solar energy solutions to meet our energy needs by creating innovative collaborations in research, economic and public policy analysis and education/outreach.

The Arizona Research Institute for Solar Energy

List of Major Research Activities• Measurements and testing

– Solar irradiance, effects of clouds and temperature and long term exposure on PV module behavior and life time expectancy

– Weather forecasting for PV output prediction• New PV materials

– Nanostructures for high efficiency and large area multijunction solar cells– Polymer and hybrid materials for low cost solar cells– Efficient and low cost c-Si processing

• Storage– Short term and low cost– Long term with high efficiency– Electrified transport

• Solar Desalination– Temperature-tolerant solar cells– Efficient heat recovery, multi-stage, evaporative desalination systems– Salt recovery and disposal

Photo by Jacob Chinn

The Tucson Electric Power (TEP) Solar Test yard

Daily output over 4 years

Normalized Energy Yield kWh / Wp = 5.3 h/day = 1935 h/yr

Daily Outputs over 4 years:

Measured Degradation RatesMeasured Degradation Rates

AC power every minute shown for 2 daysSystem Area: 21 m2 Rating: 2.640 kWp

Annual Energy Yield: 1700 kWh / kWp

Data on-line at: www.UAPV.org

Day in 2010

Data – Model shows the intermittency

1.0

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.0

AC

Pow

er (

Wac

) / S

pec

Pow

er (

Wdc

)

38.037.837.637.437.2Day since Sept 30, 2010

s19c5 Sunpower (xSi) semp_power s1c5 Sharp (px Si) s4c5 Unisolar (thin Film Si) s12c5 Sanyo (HIT Si) s7c5 Solindria (CIGS tubes)

Normalized Power Output

1.0

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.0

AC

Pow

er (

Wac

) / S

pec

Pow

er (

Wdc

)

42.041.841.641.441.2Day since Sept 30, 2010

s19c5 Sunpower (xSi) semp_power s1c5 Sharp (px Si) s4c5 Unisolar (thin Film Si) s12c5 Sanyo (HIT Si) s7c5 Solindria (CIGS tubes)

Normalized Power Output

Irradiance Forecasting

Forecast of GHI (a), DNI (b), and observed cloud cover from MODIS (c) on 27 January, 2012 at 1 pm local time over Arizona. Forecasts were made 31 hours in advance.

For updated WRF forecasts see: http://www.atmo.arizona.edu

Irradiance Forecast validation

Irradiance Forecasting

Irradiance Forecastig research using 100 rooftop PV stations