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CALCULATOR

How To Calculate The Suggested Minimum Distance Between Photovoltaic Panels?

Methodology Of The Calculator Of The Minimum Distance Between Solar Panels.

If the installation is to be installed on the ground or on a flat roof, it is extremely important to arrange the next rows of the installation in such a way that the shadow of the previous row does not obscure the next one. For this purpose, the distances of the rows from each other are determined using the calculations for the angle of incidence of solar radiation for December 23, when the sun is lowest above the horizon.
The selection of this distance is closely related to our geographical location, as well as the dimensions of our panel, its orientation and the angle of inclination.
The first step is to calculate the angle of incidence of the sun's rays. For the northern and southern hemispheres above the tropic, this value can be determined using the following formulas. The latitude of the installation location should be substituted for φ.

The Selection Of This Distance |s Closely Related To Our Geographical Location, As Well As The Dimensions Of Our Panel, Its Orientation And The Angle Of inclination.

where:
z - distance between rows (m),
α - panel inclination angle,
h - height of panels with the base of the supporting structure (m),
β - the angle of incidence of sunlight on the winter solstice.
However, it is worth remembering that to determine the minimum distance between the rows, we only need to know the minimum angle of incidence of sunlight during the year, which occurs during the winter solstice (December 22), when the sun is at its zenith over the Tropic of Capricorn. Therefore, the angle can be calculated from the formula:
Knowing the minimum angle of incidence of sunlight during the year, it is possible to determine the distance between successive rows of photovoltaic panels. The figure below shows the schematic diagram used to calculate the row spacing and the formula for the calculation:

Solutions To Reduce The Distance Between The Rows Are Acceptable, But It Has A Direct Impact On Energy Yields, Especially In The Winter Months, As Well As On The Lifetime Of Photovoltaic Cells From The Panels Of The Lowest Rows Of The Installation.

Solutions to reduce the distance between the rows are acceptable, but it has a direct impact on energy yields, especially in the winter months, as well as on the lifetime of photovoltaic cells from the panels of the lowest rows of the installation.
An extremely important issue in the situation of reducing the distance is the optimal connection of photovoltaic panels connected in chains in such a way that the possibly shaded rows of panels are strings controlled separately by the MPPT systems of the inverter.

Example:

Calculations of the minimum distance between the panels were made for a multi-family building with a flat roof located in Gdańsk, where the latitude is = 54°21'.
During the winter solstice (December 22), the sun is at its zenith over the Tropic of Capricorn. At that time, Gdańsk has the lowest angle of incidence of sunlight during the year, which is calculated according to the formula:
Knowing the minimum angle of incidence of sunlight during the year, it is possible to determine the distance between successive rows of photovoltaic panels. 25 ° was taken as the value of the inclination of the supporting structure and the panel itself. Recommended values are in the range of 25 - 40 °. The height of the selected panel is 165 cm.