PV-prive project bij ECN

<p class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-hyphenate:none" align=left><wegspan lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">The ECN PV-Privé project has been set up in order to investigate the application of small-scale grid-connected PV-systems in the existing built environment.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></wegspan> <p class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-hyphenate: none" align=left><wegspan lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></wegspan> <p class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-hyphenate: none" align=left><wegspan lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Employees of ECN and NRG have got a possibility to purchase SunPower® PV-systems with an attractive financial regulation. In exchange for that offer, they co-operate in a monitoring project and report regularly yields of their PV-systems.<o:p></o:p></wegspan> <p class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-hyphenate: none" align=left><wegspan lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">The ECN task within this project is the monitoring and dissemination of experience gained in the preparation period, during installation, follow-up care, maintenance and exploitation of PV-systems, as well as providing service to project participants. The monitoring of yields and quality of PV-systems has served as a basis for follow-up research projects. <o:p></o:p></wegspan> <p class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-hyphenate: none" align=left><wegspan lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></wegspan> <p class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-hyphenate: none" align=left><wegspan lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Within the PV-Privé project, 48 employees of ECN or NRG had let a PV-system installed. After more than three and a half years, up to and including June 2004, this group has shrunk to 36 participants. This is due to the fact that a number of participants has left the company or sold their house together with the PV-system.<o:p></o:p></wegspan> <p class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-hyphenate: none" align=left><wegspan lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></wegspan> <p class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-hyphenate: none" align=left><wegspan lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">If a permit to place the PV-system is granted or not, depends strongly on the interpretation of the regulations and the Building Code by the given municipality authorities. Mostly, they draw a parallel with solar thermal collectors.<o:p></o:p></wegspan> <p class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-hyphenate: none" align=left><wegspan lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></wegspan> <p class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-hyphenate: none" align=left><wegspan lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">The Internet is used to disseminate information on the project to participants as well as to provide a possibility to report electricity yields, fill the questionnaires, etc.<o:p></o:p></wegspan> <p class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-hyphenate: none" align=left><wegspan lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></wegspan> <p class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-hyphenate: none" align=left><wegspan lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">During the whole duration of the project there has been a helpdesk available for the participants. They can ask for any information regarding the project and report the defects and failures. The service has been used rather intensively up till now.<o:p></o:p></wegspan> <p class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-hyphenate: none" align=left><wegspan lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></wegspan> <p class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-hyphenate: none" align=left><wegspan lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">The report focuses on various components of the SunPower® PV-system as well as on occurred failures and experience with the installation.<o:p></o:p></wegspan> <p class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-hyphenate: none" align=left><wegspan lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">An important objective of the project has been monitoring and analysis of the yields. Monitoring will continue at least for a period of five years. For this purpose, ECN has developed its own monitoring software. This software has also been used within other projects.<o:p></o:p></wegspan> <p class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-hyphenate: none" align=left><wegspan lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">The report treats the issue of compensation for the electricity supplied to the grid and the issue of electricity meters with registers turning backwards. <o:p></o:p></wegspan> <p class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-hyphenate: none" align=left><wegspan lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></wegspan> <p class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0cm 0cm 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-hyphenate: none" align=left><wegspan lang=EN-GB style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB">Within the period of four years, a lot valuable knowledge has been gathered. This has been reached through continuous monitoring of practical experience since the beginning of the project as well as gaining information on non-technical aspects and operation of PV-systems by means of a questionnaire. The helpdesk and the service that shall stay available for five years have certainly contributed to this. <o:p></o:p></wegspan><wegspan lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: NL; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">Looking at all this experience it is clear that the project may be evaluated as successful.</wegspan>