User's guide to SOLREL: a simulation of reliability and availability of photovoltaic systems

SOLREL is a computer-based simulation for analyzing the reliability and availability of PV systems. It provides a tool to model their functional behavior and the effects of component and system reliability. It will also predict annual maintenance costs and the annual production of power for photovoltaic power systems, allowing for failures and degradation. These effects are measured by the resulting change in life cycle costs or life-cycle energy costs. The Guide's contents are as follows: Chapter I summarizes problems SOLREL can address and provides a description of the potential impact and use of the model; Chapter II gives an overview of the modeling approach, including how it incorporates degradation, failures and repairs; Sample outputs from SOLREL are also included in this chapter. Chapters III and IV present results of the application of SOLREL to a commercial concentrator and a residential flat panel PV system; Chapter V discusses the use of SOLREL in sensitivity analysesl; Several approaches to testing various design alternatives are given. Appendix A provides format information to guide the preparation of input data. Appendix B is a comprehensive, annotated listing of the SOLREL software for a flat panel system. This permits the analyst to follow through the computermore » program step-by-step, if desired.« less