A Novel Operating State Evaluation Method for Photovoltaic Strings Based on TOPSIS and Its Application

Xiaofei Li, Zhao Wang, Yinnan Liu, Haifeng Wang, Liusheng Pei, An Wu, Shuang Sun, Yongjun Lian and Honglu Zhu ()
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Xiaofei Li: China Datang Technological and Economic Research Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing 100040, China
Zhao Wang: China Datang Technological and Economic Research Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing 100040, China
Yinnan Liu: China Datang Technological and Economic Research Institute Co., Ltd., Beijing 100040, China
Haifeng Wang: Xi’an Xianlin Energy Technology Co., Ltd., Xi’an 710076, China
Liusheng Pei: Xi’an Xianlin Energy Technology Co., Ltd., Xi’an 710076, China
An Wu: Xi’an Xianlin Energy Technology Co., Ltd., Xi’an 710076, China
Shuang Sun: School of New Energy, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
Yongjun Lian: School of New Energy, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
Honglu Zhu: School of New Energy, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 9, 1-16

Abstract: PV strings are essential for energy conversion in large-scale photovoltaic (PV) power plants. The operating state of PV strings directly affects the power generation efficiency and economic benefits of PV power plants. In the process of evaluating PV arrays, a reference array needs to be identified. By comparing PV arrays with the reference array, the operational status of the PV arrays can be evaluated. However, in the actual operation of PV power stations, it is difficult to directly determine the reference state of a PV array due to random fluctuations in the PV power output. In order to solve the problems mentioned above, this paper proposes a method to select the reference state and perform a grading evaluation of PV strings. Additionally, the proposed method is based on the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) algorithm, which is used to rank the performance of PV arrays to determine their status. In order to solve the problem of random fluctuations in PV power generation, a probability distribution model of the PV string conversion efficiency was built by using the kernel density estimation method. Then, the characteristic indicator of the PV string’s operating state was described by the output power of the PV string and its probability distribution model. Then, based on the operating characteristic indicator, the reference state of the PV string was determined using the TOPSIS method, and the grading evaluation of the operating state of the PV string was realized. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method was verified using the actual data of a PV power station.

Keywords: photovoltaic string; reference-state selection; state grading evaluation; TOPSIS method (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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