No renewable energy project can proceed confidently without reliable technical advice. A technical advisor is part risk assessor and part troubleshooter – identifying potential issues with infrastructure, systems and procedures. They can prevent many issues arising in the first place, while devising solutions for other problems that materialise further down the line and helping implement them on the ground. Essentially, they provide expert oversight, driving projects to meet their objectives and reach their full potential.
A technical advisor’s role typically focuses on supporting renewable assets throughout their lifecycle. However, there are occasions when an independent technical assessment is needed – not for a project, but to evaluate and validate new technologies by carrying out a professional, impartial verification of its performance under real-life conditions.
One such occasion was the recent collaboration between Quintas Advisory and Nextracker – a leading solar energy technology provider.
What Makes Independent Assessments So Valuable?
Naturally, any successful organisation has its own specialists, but for maximum credibility an outside perspective is essential. Independent technical advisors can assess a project without preconceptions and bring a more objective view. The benefits are clear:
- Greater efficiency. Independent technical advisors make infrastructure, hardware and software work more effectively, by identifying room for improvement and recommending ways to cut waste and boost productivity.
- Risk management. By flagging potential or existing problems, technical advisors minimise or mitigate risks that can have a severe impact on productivity, profitability and safety.
- Expertise to innovation. With their specialist knowledge, independent technical advisors can provide valuable insights by recommending innovative solutions and new technologies.
Another often overlooked aspect is the capacity for unbiased validation. Engaging third party specialists for an independent assessment of innovative systems and tools demonstrates confidence in the product. Since these technologies are new to the market, potential customers also need to feel confident. Independent technical endorsements from respected experts such as Quintas – backed by rigorous methods and data analysis – carry considerable weight.
Case Study: Putting TrueCapture® to the Test
A good example of this approach can be found in a recent collaboration with Nextracker, which wanted hard evidence from a trusted independent source to validate the effectiveness of its TrueCapture® technology – an advanced control system for solar energy yield. Nextracker had worked with Quintas Advisory before, so is aware of our solid track record in analysing site-specific data, validating energy yield improvements, and assessing the reliability of advanced technologies.
The Challenge: Shading and Solar Inefficiency
Source: Nextracker
Shading is the biggest obstacle to harvesting sunlight, whether due to time of day or the terrain below. The sun’s daily path across the sky creates unavoidable issues. Sometimes its position is especially low and casting long shadows. This causes rows of panels to be eclipsed by those in front, greatly reducing their efficiency – especially on very flat sites where terracing is impossible.
The site’s landscaping and its surrounding terrain bring their own challenges. Solar plants in natural hollows or with steep slopes, or surrounded by hills or mountains, are subject to the natural shading this creates in daylight. At certain times – known as “shoulder hours” – a good proportion of the panels will inevitably be in the shade. Although good design can help, the problem cannot be avoided entirely. It’s time to apply smart yield management solutions, such as TrueCapture®.
The Smart Fix: How TrueCapture® Tackles Shading
TrueCapture® leverages Nextracker’s proprietary technology to ensure the energy gain entitled by tracking is delivered for all the in-field conditions. Its advanced system considers small but important variations in terrain or rows of modules – something that was previously impossibly intricate. To further increase effectiveness, whatever the sun’s position, it integrates two key technologies: Diffuse Mode and Row-to-Row Backtracking (R2R).
Source: Nextracker
- Diffuse Mode independently adjusts tracker angles for each tracker row in conditions where the sunlight is evenly spread, taking cloud cover into account to maximise the amount of solar energy captured. This is important because on cloudy days, trackers tend to point towards where the sun should be, whether it is visible or not. To avoid this, TrueCapture® sets the modules in a relatively flatter position to make the most of the diffuse light.
Source: Nextracker
- When the sun is low and casting shadow, R2R technology takes the rows and the terrain into account, adjusting individual tracker positions to minimise shading and maximise light capture. This prevents energy production from being restricted by a one-size-fits-all approach.
Source: Nextracker
Our Method: Testing with Precision and Depth
The team’s first task was to calculate the best way to analyse available data, bearing in mind that the priority was to identify and isolate productivity increases occurring solely due to TrueCapture®.
They spoke to Nextracker engineers to gain first-hand insights into the technology. The engineers proposed using measured performance data from TrueCapture®-equipped project sites. Various datasets could then be analysed, including those outside the technology itself, such as meteorological conditions and energy output. This also took different data points like Global Horizontal Irradiance and Module Temperature into account.
Standardising the data was a key task, since increased production is calculated based on differences between PV blocks with and without the TrueCapture® technology. Blocks may differ in terms of peak power, weather conditions, PV panel mismatch, and PV panel quality, etc. Thus, making all data segments clearly comparable was vital to this phase. Fortunately, this type of data processing holds no fears for Quintas, with many of our asset management solutions based on advanced standardisation methods. Quintas Advisory drew on these principles when working such a large amount of complex information, ensuring that like could be compared to like.
During this phase three main tests were carried out:
- Diffuse-only Test: This assessment focuses on the energy output under high diffuse light conditions, comparing test (“TrueCapture® active”) and control (“TrueCapture® inactive”) blocks.
Source: Nextracker
- R2R Test: A PV array block representative of the site's median topography is selected and used as both the control and test block by alternately enabling and disabling TrueCapture®'s R2R control system on successive days. Normalisation processes. These correct for environmental and operational variables, like variances in plane of array irradiance and temperature effects ensuring a fair comparison of performance outcomes.
Source: Nextracker
Overcoming Obstacles in Simulation and Data Normalisation
The first complication we faced related to the normalisation process, itself a continuation of the need for standardised, consistent data. It is key to proving TrueCapture®'s actual gain and the process had to be fine-tuned for the evaluation of both Diffuse-only and R2R control modes.
We met the client several times to better understand its approach to data – what each column meant, what units the sites used, why Nextracker preferred one form of data management over another, or why certain filters were applied, for example. Once we were satisfied, we independently "replicated" their methodology step by step, ensuring there were no errors before rolling it out to other sites.
The other significant challenge was regarding PVsyst – a widespread and market standard software for PV simulations. Unfortunately, PVsyst doesn’t support Single Axis Tracker (SAT) systems with different tilts for each tracker – let alone adjusting this to high-diffuse periods or for shade avoidance.
TrueCapture®, in both R2R and diffuse-only modes, relies on subverting phenomena that hinder power generation at string level. For R2R, during the first and last hours of daylight, the shadows cast by PV modules themselves create losses which can be avoided by trackers adopting more efficient tilts. This complexity is very difficult to simulate and PVsyst does not currently allow users to configure tilts independently. This makes calculating the R2R gain very difficult. Similarly, TrueCapture®’s diffuse-only control mode identifies periods when light diffusion is relatively high, directing all trackers to adopt a horizontal tilt rather than following the sun. This also cannot be simulated by PVsyst.
Source: Nextracker
In consultation with Nextracker, we eventually solved the problem by simulating alternative scenarios within PVsyst.
- For diffuse-only, we ran a set of fixed tilt with one-degree tilt resolution, generating a massive amount of hourly data. For each degree, we sought the optimum tilt for maximum output power during those periods when diffusion was high enough. The difference between this set of simulations and a standard backtracking simulation was the "modelled gain".
- For R2R: Fortunately, although PVsyst does not allow configuring tracker tilts independently, it calculates the loss attributed to shadowing caused by other PV modules – defined as "Electrical Shadings Loss". So, if TrueCapture® keeps these losses to a minimum, we can conclude that the potential gain of the R2R control mode is recorded as such in PVsyst.
The modelled results from four sites were compiled and compared against the measured gain, and both correlated each other. Since there were only four sites in the test population, we can conclude that for these four sites the modelled gain is a good guide to the measured gain.
Proven Gains: Measurable Improvements in Energy Yield
After extensive testing and analysis, Quintas demonstrated empirically that TrueCapture® improves energy harvesting from PV panels and makes the most of solar irradiance in real time, despite challenges throughout the project. Both Diffuse Mode and R2R technologies demonstrated a measurable improvement in energy yield across different testing sites.
Given the rigour of the testing and the results achieved, Quintas Advisory was happy to certify that TrueCapture® mitigates common shading problems and ensures PV panel performance, improving annual energy yields by 4%. These results provide empirical validation of the technology’s ability to enhance energy production efficiency, with positive implications for improved market performance through aligning production with periods of peak energy demand.
One final observation: After all the results were in, it was particularly satisfying for the advisory team to see that the gains recorded were consistently higher than the values predicted during modelling – underscoring the effectiveness of our testing and of TrueCapture® itself.
Source: Nextracker
Why Quintas Advisory Was the Right Partner
The most important difference between Quintas and other technical advisory services is our specialised knowledge base. Expertise is a given when considering these services – but when it comes to renewable energy, the sheer volume of knowledge derived from over a decade’s worth of experience in renewable asset management makes all the difference. When you engage Quintas Advisory, you can rely on five key qualities.
- Objectivity. Partnering with a reputable independent engineering consultancy like Quintas adds credibility to an assessment.
- Accuracy. Precise analytical standards and an unbiased perspective combine with professional expertise to ensure a rigorous approach.
- Certainty. Confidence in your product is infectious. Our advisory services ensure that ensure that performance claims are not only backed by internal field data, but also independently verified under industry-accepted methodologies.
- Accountability. Our experts operate with great transparency, making sure that the methodology is clear and open. We want it to be very apparent that innovation is not only effective, but also independently proven.
- Bankability. A key priority for investors, asset owners, and developers. Engaging Quintas provides third-party confirmation of a project’s value, helping stakeholders make confident decisions and strengthening the case for broader adoption across global markets.
What ties all the above together is the bespoke nature of our services. Despite all stemming from the same solid foundation of expertise, what we offer is endlessly adaptable to a client’s particular requirements or their situation. We know that complex projects cannot be expected to fit the same parameters and we work closely with the client to take all the unique features of their case into account.
Source: Nextracker
Collaboration Without Compromise
Working closely with a client does not have to mean abandoning objectivity and rigour. Our experience with Nextracker was a good example of this – with the technology’s creators sufficiently confident in their product to act in good faith throughout by providing information and clarification whenever required, as well as giving our team everything we needed to make a fair assessment.
This serves as an excellent model of cooperation for technical advisory services. At Quintas, we believe that every commission is unique, and it is through open, honest dialogue with clients that we can customise our services to meet their requirements, while always keeping sight of the fact that we are here to help the client see better – to identify and resolve issues that they might not have been aware of; to make their projects a success.
We offer technical advisory services covering every aspect of renewable energy and storage projects – and the technology behind them. Whatever stage your project has reached, from R&D to operations, we have the insight and rigorous analytical standards needed for maximum performance and productivity.
Looking for independent validation of your energy technology? Contact our team!
