The SolarKapital Group is a financial services provider that focuses on managing PV plants, optimising their performance in a cost-efficient manner and actively contributing to the energy transition in European countries through internally developed best practices.
Measurements are now available for a project using white geotextile in Greece, demonstrating the positive effects of using reflective geotex on the performance of bifacial PV modules in two projects in Greece. 2,500 m² white geotextile on open space
In Lagkadas near Thessaloniki, approximately 2,500 m² of geotextile was installed under PV modules connected to 2 x 100 kW inverters. The fixed mounting structure is identical to a single-axis 2L tracker with a fixed inclination of 25ο and ensures an average ground clearance of 1.5m.
The weighted average power increase of the two inverters over a 12-month period (06.2022-05.2023) was 6.4%, a value that however fluctuates within a year due to irradiation.
This rate of increase was calculated based on the different production levels that these two inverters had compared to three identical inverters on the same installation in the period 05.2021-04.2022. The figures were normalised in case of technical failures.
The actual production yield of the two inverters for the mentioned period was 1,661 kWh/kWp. If one takes into account that SolarKapital's portfolio performed 4% worse in the area and in the same period due to weather conditions, the result is an average production yield of 1,730 kWh/kWp, which is astonishing for the geographical standards. With a FiT of 0.703 €/kWh, this performance leads to a payback time of the measure with Geotex of less than 2.5 years.This is considered an excellent financial investment by SolarKapital.
Another 200 m² of geotextile laid
As another project of reference character, since 04.2023, approximately 200 m² of geotextile has been laid in parallel at the Kilkis site under the PV modules, which are connected to two inverters of 10 kW each. Each inverter is located under a two-axis tracker that is not specifically configured for bifacial modules.
Although the available results are limited to the months of April and May 2023, there is a performance increase of approximately 2.5% for these two inverters compared to a third inverter, also with bifacial modules but without geotextile.
Combined with a high FiT, (€0.335/kWh) and limited labour and geotextile requirements, (9.26 m2/kW) this is expected to result in a payback period of only one year for the investment of geo-tex, a result that SolarKapital considers sufficient to discontinue the measurements and proceed with appropriate improvements across the SolarKapital portfolio of biaxial tracking systems with bifacial PV modules.
Lifetime and payback
For the projects, the estimated payback period ignores the impact of variable costs associated with electricity generation, as well as the potential benefits arising from the reduced need for grass cutting. It is also highly influenced by the type of soil, as rocky soils lead to a significant increase in installation costs.
The lifespan of the installed geotextile, which is currently intact, is affected by general weather and dust, e.t.c. The engineers of SolarKapital Greece estimate the reduction of the reflectance to be about 20 % within one year. These critical parameters need to be monitored.
The geotextile used was manufactured by Thrace NG, a member of the Thrace Group. In the coming weeks, SolarKapital plans to test their new material, the Helios Reflect System (HRS).
Sharing experience
Constantinos Sioumis, Managing Director of SolarKapital in Greece, said, "I am pleased to share our experience with the solar industry, which is currently struggling to achieve better results in a difficult regulatory, operational and financial environment. My special thanks go to the team at SolarKapital in Greece, which has demonstrated its unique ability to create value for our investors every day for more than 10 years."
About SolarKapital (Greece)
SolarKapital is an owner-managed financial services provider based in Frankfurt, Germany, which is an active partner investing equity and know-how along the entire value chain of the solar industry. In Greece, SolarKapital is an active and continuously growing IPP, currently owning 24 PV plants with a total installed capacity of approximately 4 MW. In addition, the group provides asset management and operational management services for almost 200 PV plants through SolarKapital Asset Management Services LP and Energy Plasis SMSA. The latter has a highly experienced team of ten and works with renowned O&M service providers such as Messaritis Renewables Ltd, AM Energy and KAOL Energy GP.
