Non-cumulative only solar photovoltaics for electricity load-matching

Abstract Reference rules-of-thumb advise equator-facing orientations and slopes near the site's latitude as the optimal conditions for photovoltaic (PV) systems to maximize annual solar electricity production. However, if the electricity consumption profile is considered, this layout will most likely increase net load variance on the electricity grid at sunrise and sunset, which ought to be avoided. Making use of a variety of orientations and inclinations can help to minimize this impact, especially in cities where plentiful area of diversely oriented facades and rooftops is particularly relevant for broadening the peak of PV production throughout the day. Providing electricity not only around solar noon but also in the morning and late afternoon, when demand from residential buildings increases, helps to maximize self-consumption/-sufficiency and reduces costs for end-users and utilities. Until recently, due to high installation costs, there was little interest in this non-optimal PV systems configurations. In the last five years, however, the paradigm started to shift, triggered by the growing interest from municipalities that seek energy transition through currently more affordable PV systems and, on the other hand, by the duck-curve phenomena reported in pioneering “solar cities”. This paper reviews studies that address the use of non-optimal azimuths and tilts to better match utility- and distributed-scale demand and supply.