Palmer Events Center Performance Analysis

In my Renewable Energy Technology class, we were asked to develop a model of the solar panels on the roof of the Palmer Events Center in Austin, Texas using MATLAB, and use it to determine the system power output during summer and winter days. We were also asked to extend this model to consider how the system would perform with added battery storage. I was with a team of three other mechanical engineering undergraduates for this project.

We wrote subfunctions to determine the solar position based on time and location data, and combined them to determine the irradiance in Austin and the Palmer Events Center’s solar output on a sunny day. Additional models were also developed that considered the effects of panel temperature (both arbitrary and actual, based on historical temperature data) and cloud cover, as well as a hypothetical scenario that incorporates optimal tracking under sunny conditions. The second phase of the project also involved assessing the hypothetical performance of much larger installations at orientations similar to the actual installation on the Palmer Events Center, and evaluating the economical conditions (costs of capital and price of electricity purchase and sold to the grid) that might make such a scheme viable.

The power output of the panels worsened as more losses were accounted for, and we also found that optimal tracking would improve the power output substantially. The qualitative trends in our results generally matched our expectations. We also found that adding battery storage would not be wise in most cases. A very large number of panels (6x the present amount) and a fairly high price for electricity would be needed for there to be any benefit, and it would only come after several years of operation. We compiled our results into an engineering project report that was well-received by our professor.