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Array Orientation
The tilt and azimuth of an array establish the
field of view, and the sun paths as seen within that field of view will
determine the solar insolation. Note that the field of view will also
determine what shading obstacles will impact solar access. For example,
if the field of view is toward the west, it will decrease the impact of
shading obstacles on the eastern horizon and increase the impact of
shading obstacles on the western horizon. For rooftop solar
installations, the roof parameters pitch and azimuth typically
determine the array orientation and layout. Therefore the field of view
can be adjusted only by picking the best section of the roof and the
ideal location within that area.
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| Rooftop obstacles, such as chimneys and vent pipes, can
cause shading in locations that are otherwise desirable. In some cases,
relocating modules that would be shaded can help significantly. Not
only does this preserve the production of the affected modules, but,
more importantly, it also can preserve the production of one or more
series strings by minimizing shading and keeping string voltage within
the inverter's maximum power point tracking window. Multiple- point
shading analysis makes this kind of performance optimization possible. | |