A competition of tracking photovoltaic systems in a southwestern electric utility transmission and distribution application

Author

Hickman, Thomas ; Eckert, Pete ; Lepley, Thomas

Author_Institution

Arizona Public Service Co., Phoenix, AZ, USA

fYear

1996

fDate

13-17 May 1996

Firstpage

1381

Lastpage

1384

Abstract

Arizona Public Service (APS) is doing a Utility Photovoltaic Group (UPVG) TEAM-UP project comparing commercially-available tracking photovoltaic (PV) technologies. This is a 125 kWp project consisting of 25 kWp of tracking PV systems from 6 vendors in a Survey Phase and 100 kWp in an electric utility transmission and distribution support role in the Field Phase. This maximizes APS´s and the PV vendors´technology development and results in the selection of the most cost effective hardware for the Field Phase with minimum risk. This paper covers why APS is pursuing tracking PV technology, how candidate vendors were identified, our installation experience, and early operation performance. The principle goal of this effort is to assist APS in developing economically self-sustaining use of PV by the year 2000

Keywords

photovoltaic power systems; solar cell arrays; Arizona Public Service; Survey Phase; Utility Photovoltaic Group TEAM-UP project; commercially-available tracking PV technologies; distribution support; economically self-sustaining PV use; installation experience; operation performance; tracking photovoltaic systems; transmission support; Costs; Economies of scale; Electronic mail; Hardware; Photovoltaic systems; Postal services; Power generation economics; Power industry; Solar power generation; Testing;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 1996., Conference Record of the Twenty Fifth IEEE

Conference_Location

Washington, DC

ISSN

0160-8371

Print_ISBN

0-7803-3166-4

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/PVSC.1996.564390

Filename

564390