Stowing of photovoltaic modules for hail mitigation
A method may include obtaining information from a weather forecasting service that relates to indicators of an incoming hail event. The method may include determining a stowing score that quantifies whether the hail event is likely to occur within a period of time based on the information from the weather forecasting service. Responsive to the stowing score exceeding a threshold value, a time at which the incoming hail event is likely to occur may be predicted based on the weather forecasting service information. The threshold value may indicate a threshold likelihood of the hail event occurring or a threshold period of time before occurrence. The method may include determining a wind direction at the predicted time at which the hail event is likely to occur and stowing photovoltaic modules based on the wind direction.
1 . A method comprising:
receiving weather information from a weather forecasting service, the weather information including a size of hail stones expected in an incoming hail event at a location of a solar site having a tracking system in which one or more photovoltaic (PV) modules change their angular orientations to track a position of the Sun;
determining whether the size of hail stones expected in the incoming hail event exceeds a threshold size of hail stones; and
placing the one or more PV modules at the solar site into a stow position based, at least in part, on a determination that the size of hail stones expected in the incoming hail event exceeds the threshold size of hail stones;
wherein, in the stow position, the PV modules are positioned in a non-horizontal angular orientation.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold size of hail stones is set by an operator associated with the solar site.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the threshold size of hail stones is set by a computer system associated with the solar site.
4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying a direction of wind associated with the incoming hail event at the solar site, wherein the stow position is based at least in part on the direction of wind.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the direction of wind associated with the incoming hail event at the solar site is received from the weather forecasting service.
6 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the direction of wind associated with the incoming hail event at the solar site is received from a sensor at the solar site.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the weather information further includes a wind speed associated with the incoming hail event at the solar site; and
the threshold size of hail stones varies based on the wind speed associated with the incoming hail event at the solar site.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the threshold size of hail stones decreases as the wind speed associated with the incoming hail event at the solar site increases.
9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the threshold size of hail stones increases as the wind speed associated with the incoming hail event at the solar site decreases.
10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the stow position is based on the wind speed and the size of hail stones expected.
11 . A system, comprising:
a motor configured to rotate one or more photovoltaic (PV) modules;
one or more processors configured to provide commands to the motor; and
one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media configured to store instructions that, in response to being executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving weather information from a weather forecasting service, the weather information including a size of hail stones expected in an incoming hail event at a location of a solar site having a tracking system in which one or more photovoltaic (PV) modules change their angular orientations to track a position of the Sun;
determining whether the size of hail stones expected in the incoming hail event exceeds a threshold size of hail stones; and
placing the one or more PV modules at the solar site into a stow position based, at least in part, on a determination that the size of hail stones expected in the incoming hail event exceeds the threshold size of hail stones;
wherein, in the stow position, the PV modules are positioned in a non-horizontal angular orientation.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the threshold size of hail stones is set by an operator associated with the solar site.
13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the threshold size of hail stones is set by a computer system associated with the solar site.
14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise identifying a direction of wind associated with the incoming hail event at the solar site, wherein the stow position is based at least in part on the direction of wind.
15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the direction of wind associated with the incoming hail event at the solar site is received from the weather forecasting service.
16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the direction of wind associated with the incoming hail event at the solar site is received from a sensor at the solar site.
17 . The system of claim 11 , wherein:
the weather information further includes a wind speed associated with the incoming hail event at the solar site; and
the threshold size of hail stones varies based on the wind speed associated with the incoming hail event at the solar site.
18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the threshold size of hail stones decreases as the wind speed associated with the incoming hail event at the solar site increases.
19 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the threshold size of hail stones increases as the wind speed associated with the incoming hail event at the solar site decreases.
20 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the stow position is based on the wind speed and the size of hail stones expected.