OPALE is a
complete system for
optimizations which has automated means to achieve the trickling of
many fluids on a photovoltaic field, that it is build on the
roof
of the dwellings or that it lies on the ground for plants with
solar tracking or not.
The photovoltaic
optimizations exhaustively achieved by OPALE are the
following, by order of relevance :
1. The cooling of the
panels (except in winter)
2. The removing / defrosting of the snow
on the panels (winter)
3. The cleaning of the panels
(every season)
a. from
the organic deposits
b. from
the inorganic deposits
4.
The attenuation
of the gap of optic indexes between the air and the glass of the panels
(every season)
5.
The extraction
of thermal energy (every season)
I.2.
Performances for the electric power
To maximize
the photovoltaic production, OPALE works according to 2
seasonal strategies : summer and winter.
During summer,
OPALE is using some rainwater which has been previously stored in a
tank. This water is
flowing on the photovoltaic field and is intensely cooling it.
The instantaneous net gain of production can reach until 40%.
The
water is trickling in a looped circuit between the watering rails and
the tanks thanks to a pump which is ordered by several thermostatic,
photosensitive and timed relays.
During winter,
OPALE is using a
specific
fluid which resists the frost, and it starts only to remove the snow
and/or defrost the
photovoltaic field.
Lasting all the year, the flowing of the fluid has
additional
effects which are beneficial for the photovoltaic yield : regular
cleaning of the panels and optic reduction of the light reflexion on
the panels. Moreover, OPALE decreases the amplitude of the thermal
cycles undergone by the panels, thus
is slowing down their ageing.
Therefore OPALE raises up
annually the electric productions of about 5 to 20% in metropolitan France.
Better gains are foreseeable for regions where the climate is very
extrem and stationnary (very hot and sunny, or on the contrary, very
cold and snow-covered).
I.3.
Performances for thermal production
As well in
winter that in
summer, the dark photovoltaic field is facing the sun, thus it appears
as a
very good thermal receiver, especially if it is covered by a
greenhouse, of preference removable
to prevent the overheatings of summer.
On the OPALE plants without removable greenhouse
built by Sycomoreen
and preferentially destined to cooling the panels, the debits of hot
water at 40°C with
1L/second are often observed during several minutes while starting the
pump if the weather is sunny.
In combination with a big photovoltaic field and an
effective
thermal insulation of the dwelling, OPALE allows to drastically cut the
need
for energy in the building.
A storage of the heat in excess in a wide and
insulated
thermal buffer is foreseeable. The excess of heat received lasting the
summer by the OPALE device will serve to moderate the colding of the
dwelling lasting the winter, but one has to think to the buffer and its
accessories immediately at the design/building of the dwelling.
The
thermal extraction of the solar energy is easy with OPALE and
can
make a dwelling fully autonomous (heating and sanitary hot water).
Even in case of partial supply for the thermal needs, this free solar
contribution is ecological and prevents to require other sources of
energy, expensive and polluting.
II.
The Sycomoreen's OPALE plants
Since 2009, Sycomoreen is leading an active program of
Research & Development on several OPALE prototypes.
II.1.
The OPALE Photovoltaic Barn
Length of the watering
rails : 23 m
This installation,
done on a former unused barn, is very long (23m)
: this prototype of wide
span demonstrates the feasibility of OPALE on the "big roofings"(agricultural
buildings, roof of supermarket, huge dwelling, specific big PV fields).
Its start, observation and improvements have taken place during the
2010 year.
Peak power of the
plant : 15,84 kWc Area of the
photovoltaic field : 144 m² Panels
: 288 tiles PV Imerys 55 Wc reference FAG 10 Inverters
: three SMA Sunny Mini Central 6000A with injection on 3 phases More
technical information
Slide shows and videos
(last update : 02/04/2012
)
Length of the
wateringrail : 10 m
This installation, done on a former unused dairy, is a
prototype of middle size which demonstrates the
feasibility of OPALE on important roofs of dwelling (10 m
x 8) fully recovered by a
photovoltaic field. This prototype is a year posterior to the photovoltaic
barn. It works since the half-january 2011.
Peak power of the
plant : 9,45 kWc Area of the
photovoltaic field : 77 m² Panels
: 70 modules Kyocera FD 135 GH2P of 135 Wc Inverters
: two SMA Sunny Boy 5000TL in parallel on energymeter for single phase
injection to
see the dedicated pages
II.3.
The OPALE Photovoltaic Carport
Length of the watering
rail : 9 m
This installation under project aims to validate
the intégration of OPALE on small roofings with
weak slope
(20°) which lie in suburban environement, as well
esthetically than technically.
Peak power of the
plant : 5 kWc Area of the
photovoltaic field : 45 m² Panels
: 42 modules Kyocera FD 135 GH2P of 135 Wc Inverters
: one SMA Sunny Boy 5000TL on energymeter with single phase
injection
II.4.
The OPALE solar mobile device of 1 kWc with solar tracking (under
project)
Length of the watering
rail : about 4 m
Area of the photovoltaic field : 10 m²
This installation under project has for goal to validate
the integration of OPALE on
the modular photovoltaic masts with motorized solar tracking of the
plants on the ground, or on the very small suburban roofings (3 kWc and less).
see the dedicated page
III.
Summary of the OPALE Patent
The OPALE motto describes the
devices for Overall
Photovoltaics with Automated Liquid Enhancements designed
and achieved by Sycomoreen since 2009. The OPALE Patent is pending from
April 2011, 24th :
OPALE leans on a multi-tanks approach(REP,REC,RLS)
equipped with at least one pump(PMP), one integrated back
filtering(FRI) on at least one of the tanks,
one integrated filtering of departure(FDI) on each pump(PMP), some
ascending pipes (ASC,ASC1,ASC2) and watering rails (RA,RA1,RA2,RA3),
managed by a seasonal piloting with thermostatic(TST),
photosensitive(PHO) and timed (RHP,RTE) relays ; this set of devices is
achieving with flowing
liquids like rainwater(EP),
preheated rain water(EC) or specific liquids(LS) all
the necessary optimizations to make work a field of photovoltaic
panels(CPV) on roofs or on the ground, with solar tracking or not,
more precisely :
1. The
cooling of the panels (except during winter)
2. The
removing/defrosting of the snow (winter)
3. The
cleaning of the panels (every season)
a. from
the organic deposits
b. from
the inorganic deposits
4. The
attenuation of the gap of
optic indexes between the air and the glass of the panels (every season)
5. The
extraction of thermal energy (every season)
Thus the present
invention(OPALE) is characterized by the following elements and
principles :
1. The use
of different liquids stored in :
a. at least one tank(REP) of rainwater(EP),
b. at
least on tank(RLS) of
specific liquid(LS) which will notably be an antifreeze (for example
water/alcohol) or an aqueous acid
solution,
or a tank(REC) of heated water(EC), or any specific
liquid(LS) which can be adequat,
2. At
least one pump(PMP) of which
the suction(ASP) is immersed, possibly thanks to
floodgates(VAP,VAC,VAS) :
a. In a tank of rainwater(REP) for the
summer time,
b. In a tank of
antifreeze(RLS) or as a variant in the tank(REC) of heated water(EC)
for the winter time,
c. In a
tank(RLS) of specific liquid(LS) for exceptional maintenance or
intensive cleaning (with acid or organic solvent).
3. A double integrated filtering(FRI,FDI)
:
a. The
integrated back filtering of the liquid (FRI) on at least one of the
tanks(REP,RLS,REC) is build with at least one double
stacked box(BBE) with
filtering area(SFI),
reusable after cleaning, with a removable lid(CAM), a supporting
grid(GRI), set by
screws(VI1,VI2,VI3,VI4), with a distributing device(DIS) towards the
adequat tank of liquid(REP,RLS,REC),
b. The
integrated filtering of liquid's departure(FDI) on the suction(ASP)
build with filtering head or surfaces (TFI,SFI) which
are reusable after cleaning,
4. An optional integrated heating on at
least one
tank(REP,RLS), constituted either by a streamer(SER) where the sanitary
hot water(ECS) flows,
either by a heating resistor(RCH), either by both(SER,RCH),
5. Sensors and starters of the pump
and/or of the heating resistor(RCH):
a. Thermosensitive : a
thermostatic relay(TST)
b. Photosensitive : a dusky
relay(PHO)
c.
Timed : a relay with programmable timetables(RHP) and an
electric temporized relay(RTE),
6. Some ascending pipes(ASC,ASC1,ASC2)
leading the chosen fluid at the top of the photovoltaic field(CPV),
7. At least one watering
rail (RA,RA1,RA2,RA3) from which the liquid is trickling,
8. One
optional removable greenhouse(SAM) which covers the photovoltaic
field(CPV) according to the season,
9. Some gutters(CHN) to collect the
fluid,
10. One removable plate(PEA) carrying or not the
flowing liquids outside the gutters(CHN)
11. Some back pipes(RET) towards the
tanks(REP,RLS,REC).
12. At least one float(FLO), at least one
distributing device(DIS) and at least one exit of the overflow(TRP) to
manage the level
of the fluids
inside the tanks(REP,REC,RLS)
