Analysis of possibilities and demand for energy in a public building using a tracking photovoltaic installation

¹ University of Rzeszow, Department of Biophysics, 1 Pigonia Str., 35-310 Rzeszow, Poland
² Rzeszow University of Technology, Department of Heat Engineering and Air Conditioning, 6 Powstańców Warszawy Str., 35-959 Rzeszow, Poland
³ Lodz University of Technology, Department of Semiconductors and Optoelectric Devices, 211/215 Wólczańska Str., 90-924 Lodz, Poland
⁴ Lodz University of Technology, Institute of Electrical Power Engineering, 18/22 Stefanowskiego Str., 90-924 Lodz, Poland

^* Corresponding author: elrywi@prz.edu.pl

Abstract

In the first part of this paper we present an overview of photovoltaic devices installed in Poland in the years 1960-2015. In the years 2009-2016, approximately 199 MW in total power of photovoltaic devices were installed. The second part of the paper we focus on presenting the research results on the usage of tracking photovoltaic installations in 2010-2016 collected in various periods of their work. PV panels were installed on the building of the Institute of Electrical Power Engineering of the Lodz University of Technology. In this paper we considered PV installations as an additional source of energy improving the total energetic efficiency of the building via the reduction of energy consumed from public electric and power networks. The installation satisfies up to 30% of annual energy demand of laboratories. However, the break-even period of the system was estimated to be about 30 years because of the high cost of installation.