Title:	A General PV Plant Digital Twin Concept to Support the Complete Project Lifecycle
Author(s):	I.T. Horvath, J. Lemmens, B. Birnie, T.M. Hall, G. Oviedo-Hernandez, O. Dupon, A. Tuomiranta, V. Vasylius, W. Hitchcock, I. Gordon
Keywords:	PV System, Ray Tracing, Simulation, System Performance
Topic:	PV Systems Engineering, Integrated/Applied PV
Subtopic:	Engineering Design and Installation of PV Systems
Event:	8th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion
Session:	4EO.2.3
ISBN:	3-936338-86-8
Price:	0,00 EUR
Document(s):	presentation

Abstract/Summary:

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The solar photovoltaic (PV) industry is undergoing rapid digital transformation. Digital twins are already in use throughout the lifecycle of PV assets, starting from design, through monitoring, all the way to decommissioning and dismantling. The two main challenges that the application of PV digital twins still needs to overcome are (a) the complexity of replicating a physical PV asset in digital terms, and (b) the lack of digital twin uniformization across the lifecycle. The goal of the present paper is twofold: (a) a digital twin structure is proposed with intended validity for the entire PV system lifecycle and (b) techniques are developed, assessed and tested, aiming at the automation of replicating real PV assets in the digital domain. The developed approach brings unprecedented insights into PV system performance analysis and optimization thanks to computing and visualizing performance data on realistic 3D models; and to mapping measured PV plant monitoring data onto the developed 3D-based digital twin.