To get the most out of your solar project, all factors must be optimal. These include shading on the panels, of course, but the angle of the panels and the electronics behind them also play a role. In addition, it may be smart to look at a combination with wind energy or storage. Miloš Stamenković, a solar energy specialist at Green Trust, is happy to give advice.
Nobody starts building a wind farm without the help of a specialist. But when realizing a solar project, a solar expert is less likely to be called in. “With solar projects you are often talking about a completely different scale than with wind energy,” Miloš understands. “For just a few hundred euros you can get started with a single solar panel combined with fairly simple electronics. You can find an installation manual on YouTube. But what you won't find there are the many factors you have to think about. Such as the effect of shade on energy production, advantages and disadvantages of various electrical solutions or problems arising from the falling leaves from trees. Innovation in solar industry brings a whole variety of technical solutions such as bifacial solar panels, tracking mounting structure, agrivoltaics and multiple oriented layouts. By taking this into account from the beginning, you can increase the yield of your solar project.” In addition, installing a solar panel on a vacation home is quite different from realizing a solar park of many acres. “With a larger project, you quickly run into issues around grid connection and battery storage, for example,” Miloš says. “Or perhaps there is a hidden benefit of combining solar and wind energy.”
As a specialist in solar energy, Miloš takes a close look at all these aspects. “I prefer to think along from the start of a project,” he indicates. “So that we can optimize the design in all respects. For shading, that starts with information about current and future objects in the neighborhood. Think trees, tall chimneys or light masts from a nearby sports field. But also plans in the area, for example for wind turbines. In a software program, I combine that information with other parameters, such as the angle at which the panels will be placed and the electronics. I also look at possibilities for flexible panels, panels that move with the sun, panels with or without a frame. In this way, I create different variants. Based on that, I help the developers determine what is the most optimal solution for the design.”
Miloš has experience with several solar parks in various countries, with ground mounted utility scale projects or, for example, PV plants on the large halls of a logistics business park. In addition to calculations, he often uses visualizations of the design in 3D.
“This gives local residents an idea of what the solar park will look like in practice. Here, too, we can show different variants. For example, with and without landscaping. In addition, such a visualization helps when applying for the permit.”
Is your solar farm already in operation but would you like to expand or combine it with wind energy, for example? Or are you just curious how you can realize more yield? Even then the expertise of Green Trust provides added value. Miloš: “On the basis of the drawings and the situation I make an analysis. In this I take different aspects into account, from shading to the electrical design and grid congestion of your solar farm. My background in electrical engineering comes in handy here. We are also increasingly looking for hybrid solutions, such as solar energy with battery storage or combining solar and wind power in the same connection. In this way, more is often possible than you might think.”
Want to know more about Green Trust's added value for your solar project? Feel free to contact Miloš or one of his colleagues!