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Optimizing Photovoltaic Power Plant Efficiency: A Comprehensive Study on Design, Implementation, and Sustainability

Article

Last updated: 09 Mar 2025

Subjects

-

Tags

Mechanical power engineering

Abstract

This study explores the design, efficiency, and sustainability of photovoltaic (PV) power plants, emphasizing their growing role in renewable energy systems. Photovoltaic power plants convert sunlight directly into electricity, offering a clean, renewable energy source, yet face efficiency and intermittency challenges. Key factors influencing PV efficiency include material type, weather, temperature, orientation, and technological advancements. Current commercial PV cells demonstrate an average efficiency of 15-20%, with monocrystalline cells achieving up to 22% efficiency under ideal conditions, while polycrystalline cells reach around 18%. These efficiency rates indicate that a 1 MW PV plant, with optimal sunlight exposure, generates approximately 4,380 MWh annually; however, in practice, real-world factors can reduce this output by 10-15%. Efficiency improvements are made possible through advanced technologies like bifacial panels, which capture sunlight from both sides, improving output by 6-9%, and solar tracking systems, which increase efficiency by 15-25% by adjusting panel orientation to follow the sun. Additionally, concentrated photovoltaics (CPV) offer potential efficiencies of up to 40%, though they are suitable only for high-sunlight regions. Life-cycle assessments show that PV plants have a CO₂ emission factor of 20-60 g CO₂-eq/kWh, significantly lower than fossil fuels, underscoring their environmental benefits. However, challenges such as high initial costs (up to $1,000/kW for utility-scale systems) and land use (up to 4 acres per MW) require careful planning for large-scale implementations. This study concludes that while PV plants are pivotal for sustainable energy, ongoing innovations in cell efficiency and energy storage will be essential to maximize their impact.

DOI

10.21608/pesj.2025.352982.1011

Keywords

photovoltaic (PV) power plants, CO₂ emission, concentrated photovoltaics (CPV)

Authors

First Name

Medhat

Last Name

Elkelawy

MiddleName

-

Affiliation

Mechanical engineering department, Faculty of Engineering, Pharos University in Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt Department of Mechanical Power Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt

Email

medhatelkelawy@f-eng.tanta.edu.eg

City

-

Orcid

0000-0002-4191-9772

First Name

Ahmed

Last Name

Mohamed

MiddleName

Elsayed

Affiliation

Mechanical engineering department, Faculty of Engineering, Pharos University in Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt

Email

202002073@pua.edu.eg

City

-

Orcid

-

First Name

Hussein

Last Name

Seleem

MiddleName

Eltaibee

Affiliation

Electronics and Communications Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tanta University

Email

hussein.eltaibee@pua.edu.eg

City

Tanta

Orcid

0000-0002-2936-5447

Volume

2

Article Issue

1

Related Issue

54245

Issue Date

2025-06-01

Receive Date

2025-01-14

Publish Date

2025-03-01

Page Start

12

Page End

22

Online ISSN

3009-6197

Link

https://pesj.journals.ekb.eg/article_415585.html

Detail API

http://journals.ekb.eg?_action=service&article_code=415585

Order

415,585

Type

Case studies

Type Code

3,164

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

Pharos Engineering Science Journal

Publication Link

https://pesj.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

Optimizing Photovoltaic Power Plant Efficiency: A Comprehensive Study on Design, Implementation, and Sustainability

Details

Type

Article

Created At

09 Mar 2025