MODELING THE IMPACT OF PIER TYPE ON THE RELATIVE POWER-REDUCTION FACTOR OF A PV GENERATOR

This paper models and simulates the impact of various trellis materials (reinforced concrete, iron, steel, aluminum, sand, earth, gravel, water, seckho, baked brick, air, and straw) on the power output of a photovoltaic generator (PVG). The aim of this work is to quantify power losses caused by Back Surface Field (BSF) heating induced by each support type. Simulations were conducted over 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 years across multiple installation sites. Results show that, after 5 years, trellis materials reduce PV power by 21.42% to 27.60%, depending on the pier type. Average long term losses reached 20.90% (5 years), 20.01% (10 years), 23.01% (15 years), 22.25% (20 years), and 21.53% (25 years), with air suspended and water based installations performing best.