Estimation of the optimum tilt angle of solar collectors in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz

The design and development of solar energy systems requires knowledge of the variation and maximum utilization of incident solar radiation on a surface. The amount of solar radiation incident on a surface is affected by its orientation and its tilt angle. Generally, fixed surfaces are oriented towards the equator. Therefore, for a fixed solar energy system, the tilt angle is one of the important parameters to capture the maximum solar radiation incident on a surface, which is essential to maximize the energy production of the system throughout the year. In addition, the optimum tilt angle must be determined specifically for each location and may have daily, fortnightly, monthly, seasonal, bi-annual and annual variations. In this research study, a review of the different ways of calculating the optimum tilt angle is made, paying special emphasis in the tropical region. The daily optimum tilt angle for solar energy systems is determined from the first derivative of the cosine of the tilt angle with respect to the angle of inclination, a simple formula is obtained to know the optimum angle of daily inclination. Then, the values of the annual solar radiation on the surface are calculated from the results and scenarios are proposed with the objective of obtaining a maximum incidence of energy throughout the year with the minimum adjustments. The results indicate that using the daily inclination has the highest incidence of energy. However, it is recommended to make monthly adjustments since the loss of energy gain for one year is 0.15% comparing against the scenario of daily adjustments. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.