N. Nijegorodov, D. Khare, and T.A. Thomas (Botswana)
Mean yearly optimum slope, mean monthly optimum slope, maps of mean monthly optimum slopes
The analytical method developed by Nijegorodov et al. (1994) to find the optimum slope of an absorber plate, is applied to study the variation of mean monthly and mean yearly optimum slopes in Botswana and SADC countries. Based on meteorological parameters obtained from more than 50 synoptic stations in southern Africa, maps of mean monthly optimum slopes of PV-panel for 9 SADC (South African Development Community) countries (Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe) are presented. It has been found that the optimum slope in south Africa at different times of the year could be positive or negative. This respectively means that for PV panels to collect the maximum amount of solar energy at different times during the year, they must face south or north. Preliminary investigations show that if the slope of a PV-panel is corrected once a month, it’s efficiency increases by 7-10%.
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