Solar energy consultancy_2010_en_e

| megajoule.pt |
Celso Costa
celso.costa@megajoule.pt

Prologue | megajoule.pt

As the national renewable energy consultancy reference, MEGAJOULE is proud to present to you our
solar energy projects development and support services, dedicated to all the main players in the
energy global market, such as investors, promoters and financial institutions.

Our solar project’s portfolio ranges from technical due diligences to country scale resource mapping
and prospecting to the amount of 100 MW, in Portugal, Spain, Romania and East Timor. We provide an
independent perspective allied to a tailor made product range, always synchronized with each clients
goals.

Our goal is to contribute to the settlement of economically viable renewable energy projects,
providing excellent consultancy services to our costumers integrated in a variety of levels.

Solar energy services
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Our services | megajoule.pt

Due diligence for solar power plants

The perception of the risks associated to the solar energy industry and how to deal with them, is an
essential tool for investors and financial institutions, which invest in these business area. Therefore,
requiring services tailored to their objectives, such as:

-Technical due diligence;

-Equipment and mounting solutions comparative studies;

-Power plants extension possibilities.

We provide an independent analysis and support service, using our cumulative experience and the
most advanced research tools, some of them developed by our very own innovation and research
team, so that our clients can make rigorously informed decisions on their investments and projects.
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Solar resource prospecting

Based on point measurements and/or satellite coverage, MEGAJOULE uses a self constructed
algorithm, similar to the one used in the European Solar Radiation Atlas (ESRA/SoDa)) in order to
determinate the parameters of solar radiation for the whole prospected area requested for the
projects.

Considering the individual needs of each client, we provide mappings with definitions that range from
10 km, for large scale areas, to 100m, for local bounded projects .

Covering from small areas, destined to utility scale power plant implementation, to country scale
mappings for resource prospecting in order to search for the best investment locations.

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Feasibility studies

This services package is dedicated to the initial stage of the solar power plant design phase, when a
complete approach to the place(s) considered for the projects implementation is required.

Its main objective is to provide an analysis of the multiple parameters that contribute for the local
quality, as a energy generator, combining the desired area’s resource mapping with local construction
restrictions, access ways, technologies in use and respective energy production estimates.

The feasibility study can also be extended to many places simultaneously, where the promoter is
considering the investment, providing a comparative perspective , in which the sites quality and
mounting options are considered.
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Analysis tools | megajoule.pt

Data base comparative analysis

Information exclusively gathered
by satellite coverage,
particularly: Meteosat5-9, ISCCP,
GEWEX/SRB3, etc..
Stations + Satellite
Satellite • Satel-light
• Meteonorm • NASA SSE Data from meteorological
• ESRA • HelioClim V3 measurement stations
complemented by satellite data
coverage

Stations
Information exclusively gathered
• PVGIS from meteorological stations
• Meteorology institutes

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Meteorological data processing

A successful solar power plant relies on a comprehensive knowledge of the Solar pattern across the
desired area.

However, the initial characterization of prospective areas is often a challenge due to the lack of
reliable local-data. Moreover, traditional climatologic data bases have many limitations like coarse
resolutions, data periods restricts and high uncertainty in cloud cover assessment.

In order to provide a reliable regional climatic analysis MEGAJOULE has developed a wide range of
solutions using Solar numerical simulations based on European Solar Radiation Atlas methodology,
advanced interpolation methods and Mesoscale numerical simulations.

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Solar resource mapping methodology

 Usage of the ESRA/SODA clear sky model, taken into account turbidity values for one most
description of the scattering by aerosols and the absorption by gas, mainly water vapor;

 Clear sky values of direct, diffuse, reflected and global radiation components, are independently
modeled in horizontal plane or tilt plane;

 Clear sky values are corrected, by effective distances interpolation method, from ground
measurements, NASA database or mesoscale modeling (WRF)

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Resource prospecting

The applicability of a solar resource map is related
to several parameters, but mostly to the function of
its horizontal resolution, which should be chosen to
be suitable with its purpose and subsequent
correction of clear sky values.

Governments or Grid Manager scale

 Solar resource prospecting and quantification
(investor)

 Defining regions with socioeconomic
development potentialities

 Grid management (extension or enforcing)

 Planning national energy needs (source)

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Terrain evaluation

Due to the reduced spatial variability of the solar
resource, the equipment layout across the project’s
area importance is less than the site’s location itself.
Therefore, the keywords are:

“Location, location and location…”

Terrain aspect

 In order to obtain the best performance, terrain
should have south orientated surfaces;

Topography

 Ideally the project’s area should be flat and
without any kind of permanent vegetation;

Surroundings

 From the terrain analysis results the Sky-View
Factor, which expresses the percentage of non
obstructed horizon in each point of the considered
grid.
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Surrounding effects

 The first radiation blockage evaluation can be
done on-site, thru visual inspection, in order
to predict the zones and periods year around
which will be affected by shades on the
horizon;

 Accounting for the line visibility on the
horizon, using GIS calculated elevation angles
in the vicinity, obtaining the local horizon
profile.

 Modeling of obstacles in urban environment
above the topographical horizon profile,
which can cause additional losses and,
therefore, significant degradation on the
systems energy output.

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Final product | megajoule.pt

Detailed reports

Presentation of the annual energy
production estimates followed by comments
and expert recommendations;

Conclusions withdraw from equipment and
mounting solutions comparative studies;

Optimization of the layouts according to the
results obtained;
Cidade Rodrigo Salamanca I Salamanca II
180.00 200.00 600.00
Produção Produção Produção
160.00 Estimativa 180.00 Estimativa Estimativa

Evaluation of the uncertainty associated to
500.00
140.00 160.00

140.00
120.00 400.00
120.00
MWh/mês

MWh/mês

MWh/mês

the production estimates, where we
100.00
100.00 300.00
80.00
80.00
60.00 200.00
60.00

registered an excellent correlation between
40.00
40.00
100.00
20.00 20.00

- - -

predicted values and the ones occurred in the
Jan Fev Mar Abr Mai Jun Jul Ago Set Out Nov Dez Jan Fev Mar Abr Mai Jun Jul Ago Set Out Nov Dez Jan Fev Mar Abr Mai Jun Jul Ago Set Out Nov Dez

field;

Long term analysis of equipment
performance degradation, and the consequent
effective energy production decay over the
years.

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Solar energy consultancy_2010_en_e

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