The PV plant Birg (4.134kWp) is located at 2670m above sea level. It has been operated since 1992. During 1993 and the first part of 1994, due to frequent inverter problems, problems with the supplies of the monitoring equipment and the data loggers, the recorded data of energy production are not fully representative. Many of these problems were caused by excessive line voltage fluctuations at this very remote location. From August 1994 on, these problems could be cured.

The PV array is mounted vertically at the outer wall of a cableway station and is oriented nearly exactly towards south. In summer, the roof causes partial shading of the upper modules in the array (especially in the morning and the afternoon). In winter, energy production of the lower modules may be affected by large amounts of snow on the lower roof (see photo).

Annual energy production varied between 993kWh/kWp in 1999 and 1110kWh/kWp in 1997. Average annual energy production in the time period 1995 – 2002 was 1063kWh/kWp, the performance ratio PR = 76.6% and the winter energy fraction 56.2%.

A specific property of this plant is the very high winter energy fraction. Operation of this plant has shown that winter energy fractions > 50% are possible also for PV plants in central Europe.

 

• normalized analysis
  
• online data presentation Birg

 

Location:	Station Birg of the Schilthorn cableway; 2677 m
Start up:	21.12.1992
Module:	Siemens M55 (78 pieces)
PV generator power:	4 134 Wp (nominal)
Gross area:	33.3 m2
Orientation:	5° west, 90° tilted
Inverter:	ASP Top Class 4000/6 Grid III (since 21.02.03) Solcon 3400HE (from 21.12.92 until 21.02.03)
Measured parameters:	In-plane solar radiation with a pyranometer Module temperature and ambient temperature DC current and DC voltage AC power Line voltage

 

 

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