Enhancement of Albedo for Solar Energy Gain with Particular Emphasis on Overcast Skies

Mehreen Gul, Yash Kotak, Tariq Muneer and Stoyanka Ivanova
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Mehreen Gul: Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Building Design, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh Eh14 4AS, UK
Yash Kotak: Project Management Centre of Excellence, Blackpool and The Fylde College, Blackpool FY2 0HB, UK
Tariq Muneer: School of Engineering and the Built Environment, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh EH10 5DT, UK
Stoyanka Ivanova: Department Computer-Aided Engineering, University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Hr. Smirnenski 1, 1164 Sofia, Bulgaria

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 11, 1-17

Abstract: In the absence of ground reflected radiation measured data, an average albedo value of 0.2, which describes the reflective properties of the bare ground is generally used. The variation of albedo based on different foreground surfaces and under different atmospheric conditions is an area which is under research. This paper presents an experimental investigation of albedos of different foreground materials that can be used for photovoltaic (PV) applications. Overcast skies are predominant in northerly locations and will have a high frequency of low solar altitudes, and thus ground reflection is an important contributor towards total solar energy gain. The foreground surfaces include common materials: Grass, sand, and cement slabs, and some non-conventional materials: White pebbles, white boards, white tiles, and aluminium foil. The impact of factors, such as ageing, solar elevation, rain, and cloud cover (sky conditions) is analysed to determine the changes in albedos of these materials. Each material was observed to have individual performance characteristics under these factors. It was found that the non-conventional materials were least prone to weather-related changes and have higher albedo values as compared to the conventional materials, and also have good potential to replace the conventional materials for any given PV application.

Keywords: solar radiation; photovoltaic; albedo; overcast skies (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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