This paper presents results of one-year monitoring of AC side electrical parameters and the characterization of local solar radiation at the biggest rooftop PV Power Plant, with an installed capacity of 1.42 MWp, mounted at Mineirão Football Stadium in Brazil. This stadium is one of the sport facilities that hosted 2014 FIFA World Cup and Rio 2016 Summer Olympics Games in the country. Results showed how it is important to study and characterize the solar resource in the region of interest, based on historic data, to provide the understanding of solar radiation and thus project PV power plants with better performance. Furthermore, AC electrical data show the behavior of active, reactive and apparent powers and the influence of the PV system on the power factor at the local grid utility connection point. Finally, PV power plant performance data (as annual final yield, performance ratio and capacity factor) are also presented and compared with data from PVsyst software simulations. The results over the monitoring period were good considering the specificities of the stadium

This research shows the methodology results for outdoor characterization by the I-V curves of the PV power generators at the biggest Brazilian rooftop PV power plant mounted at the Mineirão Football Stadium. The experimental results of the methodology were obtained by a measurement campaign using two capacitive loads. This work identified a significant difference when these measurements were extrapolated to standard test conditions (STC) and compared to the rated power data shown on the PV modules’ label at strings: between 24.12% to 26.19% lower. Results showed a contribution of soiling in a power reduction of about 6.7% on average. Additionally, it was considered an uncertain method, and AC electrical parameters were monitored. The reference PV module’s calibration was carried out with great attention—the measurements were made with the PV device under test (DUT), guaranteeing the same real operating conditions for the reference PV module and the PV string as DUT. This measurement method has allowed a better characterization of the uncertainty associated with the measurement process. Finally, this study demonstrates the importance of investigating the actual power of the installed PV generators and how these measurements are essential to guaranteeing energy production following the owner’s expectations.

This paper presents a containerized development platform suitable for developing and validating advanced microgrids (MGs). Through a collaborative effort involving the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) within the technical-scientific research project titled Minirrede Oasis-UFMG and the State and Federal government, the Tesla containerized MG emerges as a physical simulation tool on advanced MG projects in both islanded and grid-connected operating modes. Installed at the Tesla Laboratory located in the UFMG School of Engineering, Brazil, Tesla MG is composed of (i) eleven distributed energy resources (DERs), which supply around 33 kW; (ii) one single-phase gas-driven synchronous generator (SG), with a power rating of 11 kW; (iii) one 7.5 kW three-phase diesel-driven SG; and (iv) 30 kVA 4-quadrant programmable AC load and source. All these devices are commercially available off-the-shelf equipment. Photovoltaic modules and different battery technologies are installed outside and inside the container, respectively, with cabling extending to the container to connect these components to the inverters. Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) platforms for real-time simulations (i.e., Opal RT OP5700 and Typhoon HILs 402 and 604) are also available to support MG research. Experimental results are provided to demonstrate the capabilities of the Tesla MG, specifically focusing on inverter features, power dispatchability in grid-connected mode, and proper operation in islanded mode.

Com o importante crescimento da utilização de fontes renováveis de energia no mundo e no Brasil, torna-se cada vez mais eminente a obtenção de uma boa precisão na previsão de tais fontes de energia, principalmente para as energias solar e eólica, as quais apresentam alta intermitência. Este avanço possibilitaria o aumento do uso das fontes renováveis de energia, permitindo, por exemplo, sua inclusão no sistema de despacho pelo operador de sistema elétrico. O trabalho proposto apresenta os fatores, parâmetros e critérios fundamentais para a escolha de um método de previsão que seja adequado a um determinado conjunto de critérios. A partir desta visão, o trabalho é organizado na forma de uma revisão bibliográfica (estado da arte) com os principais métodos utilizados para a previsão da radiação solar e da geração para sistemas fotovoltaicos.