Optimising monthly tilt angles of solar panels using particle swarm optimisation algorithm

Abstract

This paper presents an intelligent computational method using the PSO (particle swarm optimisation) algorithm to determine the optimum tilt angle of solar panels in PV systems. The objective of the paper is to assess the performance of this method against conventional methods of determining the optimum tilt angle. The method presented here can be used to determine the optimum tilt angle at any location around the world. In this paper, it was applied to Brunei Darussalam, and succeeded in computing monthly optimum tilt angles, ranging from 34.7ᵒ in December to -26.7ᵒ in September. Results showed that changing the tilt angle every month, as determined by the PSO algorithm, increased annual yield by: (i) 5.94%, compared to keeping it fixed at 0ᵒ, (ii) 8.65%, compared to Lunde’s method and (iii) 17.31%, compared to Duffie and Beckman’s method. Benchmark test functions were used to compare and evaluate the performance of the PSO algorithm with the artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm, another metaheuristic algorithm. The tests revealed that the PSO algorithm outperformed the ABC algorithm, exhibiting lower root mean square error and standard deviation, better convergence to the global minimum, more accurate location of the global minimum, and faster execution times.