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In Solar Park 2.0 the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology has been working with industrial partners to mitigate the losses that occur from shading, dirt and ageing – the main factors that affect solar yields.

Finding new sites for industrial-scale solar parks is a challenge in heavily-populated continents like Europe that have high land-use pressures. German scientists are therefore focusing on increasing the yield of existing plants – an altogether more expedient approach.

Since July of this year, the Electrotechnical Institute (ETI) of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) has been working with industrial partners in "Solar Park 2.0" to mitigate the losses that occur from shading, dirt and ageing – the main factors that affect solar yields.

The researchers are developing special power electronics and methods for controlling and monitoring ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) systems. To maximise the efficiency of a PV module, it must operate close to its individual maximum power point (MPP), where the output is greatest. But the MPP is not fixed: it varies depending on temperature, position of the sun and other factors, so the voltage must be continuously readjusted for optimal operation.

But it can be challenging to track where modules are in a series. "If several PV modules are then connected to form strings and, in addition, several of these strings are connected in parallel, then shading and defects in individual modules can limit the generated power of entire systems," explains one of the ETI researchers, Lukas Stefanski, in a press release.

Solarpark 2.0 uses KIT’s proprietary HiLEM circuit (High Efficiency Low Effort MPP) which replaces combiner boxes. "Not only do we achieve a higher yield from the PV system, but we also extend its service life and reduce operating costs," says Stefanski.

The new components are being evaluated in two PV test plants, each with 30 kW peak output. KIT is also developing artificial intelligence-based performance forecasting for PV systems that can single-out modules that are impeded, based on operating data. Performance optimisation measures can then be put in place. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action is funding the project for three years with EUR 2.5 million.