Lars Lisell

Analysis of Web-Based Solar Photovoltaic Mapping Tools

As the demand for renewable energy has grown, so too has the need to quantify the potential for these resources. Understanding the potential for a particular energy source can help inform policy decisions, educate consumers, drive technological development, increase manufacturing capacity, and improve marketing methods. In response to the desire to better understand the potential of clean energy technologies, several approaches have been developed to help inform decisions. One technology-specific example is the use of solar photovoltaic (PV) maps. A solar PV mapping tool visually represents a specific site and calculates PV system size and projected electricity production. This paper identifies the commercially available solar mapping tools and provides a thorough summary of the source data type and resolution, the visualization software program being used, user inputs, calculation methodology and algorithms, map outputs, and development costs for each map.Copyright

Interconnection assessment methodology and cost benefit analysis for high-penetration PV deployment in the Arizona Public Service system

In an effort to better understand the impacts of high penetrations of photovoltaic (PV) generators on distribution systems, Arizona Public Service and its partners completed a multi-year project to develop the tools and knowledge base needed to safely and reliably integrate high penetrations of utility- and residential-scale PV. Building upon the APS Community Power Project-Flagstaff Pilot, this project investigates the impact of PV on a representative feeder in northeast Flagstaff. To quantify and catalog the effects of the estimated 1.3 MW of PV that will be installed on the feeder (both smaller units at homes and large, centrally located systems), high-speed weather and electrical data acquisition systems and digital “smart” meters were designed and installed to facilitate monitoring and to build and validate comprehensive, high-resolution models of the distribution system. These models are being developed to analyze the impacts of PV on distribution circuit protection systems (including coordination and anti-islanding), predict voltage regulation and phase balance issues, and develop volt/VAr control schemes. This paper continues from a paper presented at the 2014 IEEE PVSC conference that described feeder model evaluation and high penetration advanced scenario analysis, specifically feeder reconfiguration. This paper presents results from Phase 5 of the project. Specifically, the paper discusses tool automation; interconnection assessment methodology and cost benefit analysis.