Global Test Site Network paves the way to the optimal site-related photovoltaic solution

This paper discusses three identical test-sites, built with the same components, in different locations of the world. SOLON installed three cloned systems, all of which are composed of one SOLON Mover-XL Dual-Axis Tracker, one SOLON Single Axis Tracker, one fixed rack tilted at latitude, and one fixed rack at 0°. Each field is divided into 24 sub-units of 1.5 kWp peak power in order to compare different types of modules with a reasonable power and thus minimize the measurement uncertainties. The systems are installed in three distinctly different locations: Tucson, Berlin (Adlershof), and Northern Italy, to allow SOLON to study the effects of these climatic regions on module and system performance. The architecture of the Test Site Network allows not only the comparison of various types of modules on the same site, but also the same modules in a wide range of climatic conditions. Moreover, thanks to this approach, inverter efficiency tests can be conducted. Spectral distributions, temperatures and different environmental conditions all influence the behavior of the module and the performance parameters of the system. In this sense, the present work is the beginning of a process that will identify the optimal site-related photovoltaic solution to maximize the energy output in each region and ultimately reduce the LCOE.