Analysis of Shading Losses in a PV Plant Built in a Transmission Line Right-Of-Way
Abstract
This study aims to evaluate the impact of shading from transmission line towers and cables on a PV plant installed within the right-of-way of high-voltage transmission lines (TLROW). Using PVSyst® software simulations, multiple configurations were tested by varying azimuth, tilt, pitch, and module height. Results from over 2,300 simulations narrowed down optimal design parameters. A subsequent set of focused simulations showed that the variation in annual energy production among different configurations was lower than 1%, revealing a balance between tower/cable shading and inter-row shading. A third simulation phase assessed local shading effects at specific points along the TLROW, showing that TL’s towers shading had extremely low influence when PV arrays were located more than 15 meters away. The study concludes that PV installations in TLROWs are technically viable and potentially valuable for energy generation in unused areas.
Keywords
Transmission lines, PV plant simulations, Shading Analysis, PV applications