Getting power from solar panels under transmission lines 3

[Bronzeado]

Hi folks,

What about the idea of getting power from solar panels under HV transmission lines?
Advantages and disadvantages.


Best Regards,

Herivelto S. Bronzeado
Brasília, Brazil

http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=46319837&trk=tab_pro

 

[Bronzeado]

AND, over the water canals?

Best Regards,

Herivelto S. Bronzeado
Brasília, Brazil

http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=46319837&trk=tab_pro

 

[Skogsgurra]

Advantages:
Access roads are usually already in place.
Keeping area clean from weeds and trees needed for both. So why not take advantage of work already done?
Solar panels hold back growth of vegetation.
Connection to power grid may or may not be simplified, depending on HV line voltage and solar panel size.

A lot going for it, I think.

Disadvantages: ?

Gunnar Englund

http://www.gke.org

--------------------------------------
Half full - Half empty? I don't mind. It's what in it that counts.

 

[racobb]

Disadvantages? Unless you are the utility that owns the line, you will have to deal with the right of way restrictions in place, an may still even if you are the utility. Most utilities that I am aware of here in the states do not allow placement of anything permanent, other than possibly a line crossing within their transmission right of way. And depending on the voltage and classification of the line (again here in the states), you may not have a connection to the grid advantage, as Gunnar said.

Alan

 

[racookpe1978]

Service, access and maintenance of the PV panels (metallic and silicon arrays of glass on metal towers and panels requiring frequent cleaning and servicing with cranes and lift trucks) is going to bring those vehicles and those panels and towers and brackets up into the HV cable restriction zone. Concrete foundations, running the LV solar cables, the LV solar conductor cables and their poles. Installation is the worst, but maintenance is near-continuous.

Installation most of all,

 

[Skogsgurra]

Agree, if towers are used. But many plants use ground level installation and in a fixed position.

As the panels themselves become cheaper and cheaper while towers do not, you can afford a fixed position and refrain from solar tracking. Makes the installation less costly and reduces that part of the maintenance.

New surface treatment technology also reduces the need for frequent cleaning.




Gunnar Englund

http://www.gke.org

--------------------------------------
Half full - Half empty? I don't mind. It's what in it that counts.

 

[itsmoked]

I like it. One negative is that some panels have real problems with shadows on any part of them causing LARGE voltage loss. I could see the above conductors often casting shadows on the panels below.

Another might be some sort of adverse coupling with the overhead lines causing losses and step potential problems.

Keith Cress
kcress -

http://www.flaminsystems.com

 

[Power0020]

Good idea I believe.

Induced voltages during OHTL faults? - this can be mitigated by shielded cables, I think installation can be managed especially under EHV lines.

To avoid dangerous / propagated EPR cells should be a bit far from poles/tower foundations.

Another advantage here is that no need for additional lightning protection for the cells.

One disadvantage is cells damage during OH conductor failures (risk can be assessed).

OH shadow trajectory can be analyzed based on geographical location and cells placement may be coordinated accordingly to mitigate the impact.

 

[jraef]

There are HV transmission lines right behind my house and a perpendicular run less than a quarter mile away. At one time, long before I moved here, there were Christmas tree farms, nurseries and pumpkin patches under the lines in the wide empty swaths they cut through suburbia. But apparently some time in the 80s, there were accidents under power lines that prompted new laws on land use under them. Now all that land is fallow, with the exception of one of the nurseries who apparently had enough lawyer power to maintain their grandfather status. But they had to become a commercial-only nursery with restricted access so no public wandering around inside looking at plants. There are hiking/biking trails along them, but only on the edges of the clearings. Solar panels, it could be argued, would not likely have more personnel exposure than the commercial nursery, likely much less even. But the nursery was grandfathered in, not a new enterprise. The Tree Farms tried to stay by changing to wholesale only too, but we're rejected by the police because they were not fenced in an were unattended, which apparently provided cover for nefarious types to hide in before and after burglaries and for teens to smoke pot and have sex (mostly an urban/suburban problem I'm sure). But I can imagine now, that would become a homeless encampment issue as well. Nice shelter under those arrays...

I only know all this because every 5 years or so, someone new to town circulates a petition to have the city make them into full blown parks, plant trees etc. and when it gets to the City Council, PG&E (the utility) attends, this land use issue comes up and kills all proposals. I don't think anyone has ever brought up solar arrays however. There is a large substation nearby, which could make easy access to the grid. Hmmmm...


"You measure the size of the accomplishment by the obstacles you had to overcome to reach your goals" -- Booker T. Washington

 

[FPelec]

Hi,
between 2010 and 2011 we installed about 300 MW of PV systems in areas inside or nearby EHV/HV transforming substations; above most of these areas there are 400 or 230 kV overhead lines. The only disadvantage is a somewhat lower efficency due to shadows, but on the other hand there are also some advantages, like presence of TLC channels for performing monitoring and proximity with HV substation for grid connection.

Si duri puer ingeni videtur,
preconem facias vel architectum.

 

[Bronzeado]

Hi folks,

Some more specific information:

The water supply Project I work for stands out for running more than 470 km of canals. Moving water over such significant distance requires a significant amount of energy, particularly because the water must be carried over large elevation changes before distribution. This is done by running 9 pumping stations fed by an electrical system of 270 km of 230 kV transmission lines. At the first stage will be installed about 200 MW of motor load.

The Project is running in the Northeast of Brazil, a very sunny and dry region. The idea is to analyze the feasibility of installing solar photovoltaic panels under and along the transmission lines focusing on the benefits of using renewable energy sources to help the energy need to pump water.

We own the transmission lines. The a right of ways of 50 m large.

I would like to thank all those could give us any insights on this matter.

Best Regards,

Herivelto S. Bronzeado
Brasília, Brazil

http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=46319837&trk=tab_pro