Optimum photovoltaic angle estimation for stand-alone installations of South Europe on the basis of experimental measurements

South Europe possesses excellent solar potential, setting photovoltaic (PV)-based energy production systems as one of the most promising solutions for covering the electricity needs of remote consumers all around the Mediterranean area. In order to improve the financial performance of similar installations, special attention should be paid in estimating the minimum dimensions of a stand-alone PV-based system, able to guarantee the energy autonomy of typical remote consumers. Cost-efficient operation of such PV installations is much dependent on extracting energy from the PV panels employed. In order to achieve maximum efficiency of the system, the panels' installation angle should be taken into account. In this context, the present study is focused on experimentally estimating the optimum PV tilt angle that maximizes the corresponding PV generator energy yield during the winter time, as it is during the current period that the available solar potential is minimum and thus energy autonomy of stand-alone installations is strongly questioned.