Your solar panels, on average, produce up to 6 percent less than the manufacturer promises The researcher discovers from Eindhoven University of Technology. 256 “identical residential PV systems” were compared at 19 sites across the Netherlands. This showed that the simulations are somewhat optimistic.

Thus, the actual efficiency of a solar panel system in a Dutch residential area is 6 percent lower, according to the research. In theory, this does not save hundreds of euros per year and the payback period will remain more or less the same. But it’s amazing anyway.

The researcher looked at a variety of factors that can affect the productivity of solar panel systems, namely “location, orientation to the sun, seasonal variations, sky clearness, and erosion.” TU/e will not go into further details on this topic.

will be the problem mask Also known as horizon shadows. According to the researchers, the effect of light blocking is underestimated in an average residential area in the Netherlands. “Even in the suburbs, where there are not many high-rises, blocking diffuse radiation from the sky can significantly reduce the efficiency of photovoltaic energy.” Solar panels capture not only direct light, but also indirect (reflective or diffused) light. This appears to stand in the way of an average residential area.

On the left is a satellite image of a neighborhood in Eindhoven, on the right is a 3D model of the same neighborhood mapped using Lidar technology. The masking effect is clearly visible there; Even if the surfaces appear to be in the sun, part of the indirect light can still be blocked

source:
TU/e