Effects of wind speed and tropospheric height on solar power generation: Energy exploration above ground level

Abstract

Terrestrial and extraterrestrial factors hinder the exploitation of solar power using a ground platform. This paper is concerned with the generation of solar power above ground level. This paper employs modeling and simulations coupled with experimentation to establish a functional relationship between the percentage of solar power gain, tropospheric height, and wind speed. The finite difference method based on the Cranks–Nicolson scheme was used to realize the model solution. The wind flow equation established a linear relationship between tropospheric height and wind speed, between tropospheric height and the percentage of solar power gain. It is evident that an infinitesimal percentage of solar power gain (≈2.5%) corresponded to 1000 m above ground level; the tropospheric height of 8100 m recorded 23% of solar power gain. Furthermore, wind speeds of 0 to 33 ms−1/distance (1000 m) correspond to ground level and tropospheric height of about 8100 m respectively. However, there is a prospect of achieving more percentage of solar power gain by applying high-altitude platforms. The results obtained apply to other study areas having elevations close to 1100 m, it serves as a guide in the estimation of the percentage of solar power gain by the virtue of tropospheric height and wind speed.