Forecasting Interruptions in Power Supply Using Photovoltaics in Poland – Case Study of Safe Pedestrian Crossing

Abstract

Power supply for autonomous systems is commonly provided by photovoltaics (PV), especially for civil-engineering applications, where seamless integration of PV with landscape is a valuable asset.The design rules for autonomous systems are always highly climate and application dependent. In the engineering practice, the systems are commonly over-sized or under-sized, and largely fail to meet the expectations in terms of economy or supply-autonomy.This paper investigates the application of PV for powering the safe pedestrian crossing, with all-night illumination, using detailed solar irradiance data for Polish climate. The results show the realistic forecast of energy deficits and give the design rules for optimal system size.