Title:	State of the Art and Performance of the Photovoltaic (PV) System Fleet in Brussels: an Analysis of 8000 PV Installations
Author(s):	B. Sarr, J. Leloux, G. Neubourg, G. Declève, R. Tieterickx, J. de Lathouwer, R. Lambert
Keywords:	Performance, Belgium, Photovoltaic (PV), Brussels, State of the Art
Topic:	PV Systems – Modelling, Design, Operation and Performance
Subtopic:	Operation, Performance and Maintenance of PV Systems
Event:	38th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition
Session:	5CV.2.47
Pages:	1278 - 1283
ISBN:	3-936338-78-7
Paper DOI:	10.4229/EUPVSEC20212021-5CV.2.47
Price:	0,00 EUR
Document(s):	paper

Abstract/Summary:

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The photovoltaic sector is still relatively young in the world and in the Region of Brussels, where most installations are barely ten years old or less. The goal of this study is to provide an overall picture of the state of the art of the photovoltaic park in the Brussels Region. It includes an assessment of the installed equipment, the price of the installations and their performance. More than 8000 PV installations distributed across the Brussels Region were considered in this study with data available up to the end of the year 2019, and including residential and commercial PV systems. The analysis of installation prices highlights the downward trend in prices which continues in 2019 with a reduction ranging from 5% for large systems to 16% for small residential systems compared to 2018. Since 2013, the average decrease in the different installed power categories is almost 40%. The solar resource in Brussels has gradually increased over the last four decades, with an average annual horizontal global solar irradiation over the last forty years of about 1000 kWh/m2. In the last ten years, the average value is estimated at 1078 kWh/m2, about 8% above the average of the last four decades. A historical maximum was recorded in 2018, with 1172 kWh/m2, which is about 18% higher than the average of the last four decades. The median energy yield of PV installations in the Brussels Region over the last decade was around 850 kWh/kWp. The median Performance Ratio of the PV installations in Brussels Region during the last decade was about 65%, which can be considered as a typical and representative value of the PV park. In comparison, typical Performance Ratios in Europe are in the range of 70-80%. This study has also found a correlation between the performance of the installations and certain key parameters such as the installed peak power, the year of commissioning, the brand of photovoltaic panels, the power category or the type of owner of the installation. Comparisons between module brands have also shown that there is no clear correlation between the geographic origin of a module brand and its performance.