Indian solar and biomass developer SAEL Ltd. has commissioned a 28 MW (DC) solar power plant in the mountainous Indian state of Mizoram.
However, there is now a 28 MW (DC) solar power plant in the Indian state of Mizoram a challenge in sloping, uneven terrain with narrow strips of land separated by ravines. The plant is shaped like a hand and has 15 solar panel fingers connected by a ring road and a 33 kV transmission line.
The solar park is near Vankal, Khawzawl district. It covers 194 hectares. Uneven terrain makes it difficult to install solar panels in a way that maximizes their exposure to sunlight. The direction and angle of the PV modules had to be adjusted to take into account the slope of the terrain.
“The device is designed for the palm of the hand with 15 fingers connected by a ring road and a 33kV transmission line to power extraction to maximize module placement and minimize shadowing efficiently,” Kamalesh Saraswat SAEL engineer, told pv magazine. “Overall, our thoughtful approach to designing the entire solar farm helps us achieve optimal energy production and efficiency.”
SAEL has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement with the Department of Power and Electricity, Government of Mizoram through its wholly-owned subsidiary Sunfree North East Renewable Energy. SAEL’s own EPC team carried out the installation and commissioning of the plant.
According to Saraswati, the biggest challenge was identifying the factory site so that the company could install the module mounting structures and reach the desired capacity for the plant.
“Our team conducted a contour and drone survey of the entire area to identify the flat area, gorge and steep valley area and optimize the angle of the module using our latest software and tools,” Saraswat said. “We also followed the natural contour and minimized the steep area to reduce compliance losses / plant efficiency.”
Mizoram experiences high winds and heavy rains that can damage or dislodge solar modules, so the SAEL team provided additional structural support to ensure the panels remained securely in place. The installation structure of the modules differs from traditional flat terrain solar power plants. The device has powerful mono-PERC modules and string inverters.
