Assessment of the Current State of Photovoltaic Panel Mounting Systems and Related Concerns in Northern Cyprus

Energy supply is one of the most pressing concerns for the future of any country and is directly related to the economic growth of different nations [1]. For centuries, electricity has been produced from various nonrenewable energy sources, which have had negative consequences on all living organisms, endangering the quality of life on Earth, causing air pollution, rising sea levels, increasing CO₂ emissions, and increasing global warming rate [2-4]. Furthermore, the rapid depletion of fossil fuel resources around the world and the increase in their costs are other problems of using these energy sources and indicate the urgent need to find effective solutions for the future [5, 6]. As a result, considerable efforts are currently being made to identify effective solutions, with more emphasis on alternative energy sources, one of which is the use of renewable energy sources [7]. The use of renewable energy sources reduces dependence on non-renewable sources of energy, decreases CO₂ emissions, protects the environment, alleviates the energy crisis, and reduces utility costs [4, 6].

The Earth is 150 million kilometres from the Sun, and the total energy reaching the Earth’s surface is estimated to be about 1.08 × 10¹⁴ kW. The total annual solar radiation reaching the Earth’s surface is about 3.4 × 10⁶ EJ, more than 7,500 times the total annual energy consumption worldwide. [8, 9]. Meanwhile, human life is still incredibly dependent on nonrenewable energy sources. In 2021, 36.49% of the global electricity was produced from coal, 3.1% from oil, 22.16% from gas, 9.94% from nuclear, 15.28% from hydropower, 6.59% from wind power, 3.72% from solar energy, 2.73% from other renewable energy sources. As shown in Figure 1, the share of renewable sources of energy has been growing slightly over the last decade in the world [10].

Figure 1.

To generate electricity from solar energy, photovoltaic (PV) panels are used to convert solar radiation into electricity [7]. However, some considerations should be made to improve the efficiency of PV panels for electricity generation, including shading conditions, installation tilt angle, access, land use plan, land cost, and weather conditions such as sunlight duration, ambient temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and transparency index [11–14]. Some of the mentioned factors have significant effects on the performance of PV panels, for example, shading on a quarter, half, and three-quarters of a PV panel can reduce its efficiency by 33.7%, 45.1%, and 92.6%, respectively. Consequently, there should be minimal shading on the panels at the installation site [1]. On the other hand, the installation site should be easily accessible, with a low risk of vandalism and theft at the same time [12]

The aesthetics of the building is critical after the installation of PV panels, which has been investigated by collecting data through surveys in different countries, including the investigation of detailed consumer preferences for the aesthetics of solar panels, such as colour, surface pattern, frame, visibility, and assessment of the relationship between PV panel appearance, functional performance, and cost of the PV panels among U.S. residents [6], the determination of the relative value of aesthetics compared to other features such as investment costs, payback period, reliability, and services required by homeowners in the Netherlands [15], and the assessment of the aesthetics of PV panels and the aesthetics of the building after the installation of PV panels, as well as the budget status of PV panels among Swiss homeowners [16]. But according to the literature reviews, Northern Cyprus has not been the subject of any studies on these concerns.

Other methods were also used to evaluate the effects of PV panels on a landscape, such as using the visual Q methodology to identify the effects of PV panels on the landscape and harmony with the environment [17] and using a combined method of simulation and surveys to investigate the relationship between the energy production potential of rooftop PV panels and building aesthetics [18].

Furthermore, the effects of dust, various tilt angles, and different orientations on the efficiency of PV panels in Northern Cyprus were studied by comparing one-year measured data, simulations, and analytical calculations [19]. Suitability, cost, economic aspects, and the overall efficiency and sustainability of PV panels due to their correlation with structures were investigated using qualitative research methods at both international and Northern Cyprus levels [20]. The sustainability of the installation of solar power plants in Northern Cyprus, as well as their potential environmental and economic benefits, were investigated according to the Metenorm V6 (MN6) measurement program [21]. The effects of wind loads on rooftop PV panels were examined based on ASCE 7-16 and TS498 in Northern Cyprus. The effects of beam span length, load-bearing systems, column arrangement, available roof area, and required distance between arrays were taken into account while evaluating the cost and weight of mounting systems [22].

This study evaluates the current state of PV panel mounting systems in Northern Cyprus and assesses the related concerns based on the perspective of users, companies, relevant authorities, and mounting system design conditions, and figures out the strength of the related standards. The findings of this study have beneficial effects on improving PV panel performance, reducing the negative effects of mounting systems on buildings and urban landscapes, and increasing the willingness of residents to use PV panels.

1.1.

Study area

This study is focused on Northern Cyprus. Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean region, located 33 degrees east of Greenwich and 35 degrees north of the Equator. Cyprus has a Mediterranean climate with typical seasonal changes: summers are hot and dry, lasting from May to September, while winters are usually rainy from November to mid-March. Autumn and spring are short seasons that separate summer and winter [23]. Climate change has affected the island over the last decades and has had extensive consequences such as changes in rainfall levels, changes in temperature, droughts, and extreme weather events such as hurricanes and tornados, which have affected the average wind speed on the island. Besides, tornadoes were rare in the Mediterranean region, however, their number and strength have increased in recent years due to climate change and global warming [24, 25]. These changes have directly caused widespread damage to infrastructure and equipment, especially mounting systems of PV panels including partial or total loss of PV panel arrays, damage to adjacent facilities, human and financial losses, electricity shortages, power outages, and damage to other buildings [26].

1.1.1.

Energy production in Northern Cyprus

In the northern part of the island, the Northern Cyprus Electricity Authority (KIB-TEK) is responsible for supplying electricity. Although Northern Cyprus has attempted to reduce its reliance on oil products for generating electricity in recent years, electricity generation still relies mostly on nonrenewable energy sources. Northern Cyprus imports oil products, which has led to dependence, energy crises, a volatile energy market, and rising electricity prices [5, 7]. KIB-TEK generates the required electricity using five power plants, the contribution of each power plant is shown in Figure 2 [27].

Figure 2.

Figure 3.

1.1.2.

The potential of using solar energy in the study area

Cyprus has approximately 300 sunny days and receives between 2600–3500 hours of sunshine annually [7, 28]. Its average daily global horizontal irradiation varies from 4.80 kWh/m2 to 5.44 kWh/m² [29]. Therefore, Cyprus has exceptional conditions and substantial potential for the use of solar energy due to its unique geographical location [29, 30].

According to data collected from KIB-TEK, 285 PV panel projects were completed in 2014 in Northern Cyprus, while this number has increased to 2,724 in 2020. The total number of PV panel projects in Northern Cyprus was 8,539 cases as of April 11, 2021. Figure 4. depicts the number of PV panel projects that have been completed each year in Northern Cyprus from 2014 to 2020 based on KIB-TEK data.

Figure 4.

The total electricity generated by PV panels in Northern Cyprus from 2014 to 2020 is shown in Figure 5 based on KIB-TEK data.

Figure 5.

Seven PV panel installation companies were interviewed. The results of interviews with PV panel installation companies are shown in Table 1. This table shows the number of companies that consider each of the mentioned criteria.

Thirty-two users of rooftop PV panels were interviewed in this study. Figure 6 represents the years of using PV panels.

Figure 6.

Table 2. reports the questions asked to the users in this survey and the percentage of positive responses to each question.

The result of the review of guidelines and standards of different countries regarding rooftop PV panels shows that some criteria related to rooftop PV panels are essential to improve the safety, aesthetics, serviceability, and efficiency of PV panels, which are listed below:

Field observations and detailed inspections were carried out considering these criteria.

Based on the site investigations, the problems of installed PV panels in Northern Cyprus can be divided into six categories, which include rust problems, connection problems, the height of the mounting system, the distance between the mounting system and the edge of the roof, aesthetics problems, and tilt angle of PV panels. These problems are further discussed in Table 3.

As previously mentioned, electricity generation in Northern Cyprus is currently largely dependent on non-renewable sources. But despite the problems mentioned by users, the desire to install rooftop PV panels in North Cyprus is increasing dramatically. Based on interviews with the YEK representative, users, and companies, public attention to the harms of using fossil fuels, public awareness of electricity generation by PV panels, rapid growth in global electricity consumption per capita, advertising, rising electricity prices, and expansion of PV panel installation companies and related services in this country are the main reasons for the increased desire to install them. According to data gathered from YEK, there were 82 PV panel installation companies in Northern Cyprus as of April 2021, and as shown in Figure 4, the number of PV panel installation projects in 2020 was 855% higher than the number of projects in 2014. On the other hand, the total electricity produced by PV panels in Northern Cyprus increased by approximately 1163% between 2014 and 2020. While based on interviews by the representative of YEK, there is no national standard regulation that covers the entire country and takes into account all aspects of the installation of PV panels, only some municipalities have set some standards.

However, interviews with PV panel installation companies reveal that the majority of them are unaware of the technicalities, the details of installation, and the significance of PV panel mounting systems, and do not consider effective factors such as the proper tilt angle for panel installation. In addition, they ignore the side effects and negative consequences of PV panels, such as their detrimental effects on the aesthetics of structures, landscapes, and cities. On the other hand, based on interviews with users, some mounting systems encountered problems during or after installation, and many users stated that they were concerned about the PV panels and regularly checked PV panels to make sure that everything was working properly. The majority of users are still worried about PV panels in certain weather conditions, such as windy days.

The installation and design of PV panel mounting systems in Northern Cyprus have significant flaws, as determined by an assessment of the current state of the PV panel mounting systems and associated issues using the gathered data, reviewing various standards from other nations, and inspections. Many important factors that might damage panels, mounting systems, and adjacent facilities, cause partial or complete loss of PV panel arrays, reduce power generation, result in financial and human losses, and more are ignored by PV panel installation companies.

Therefore, given the current situation, various principles must be taken into account, including the material used for mounting systems, the maximum allowable height of the mounting system, the distance between the mounting structure of PV panels and the edge of the roof, the appropriate tilt angle range, proper mounting systems design for each case, and consideration of buildings and the aesthetics of the surroundings after installing PV panels to ensure system longevity and optimal performance, protect the safety of systems and residents, prevent financial losses, maintain the aesthetics of the building, and coordinate PV panels with urban architecture.

The standard for installing rooftop PV panels in Nicosia, Northern Cyprus has been set on July 1, 2021, but it has various flaws, many items have not been considered, and in addition, some parts of the standard are incomprehensible and confusing. On the other side, this standard does not take any improvement for PV panels that had been installed before providing this standard, while many rooftop mounting systems were built with a low level of serviceability, high risks of failure in many cases, and significant effect on the aesthetics of the building before developing this standard.

In light of the findings of this study and the existing state of affairs, there are serious flaws in mounting systems in Northern Cyprus and there are two key steps that Northern Cyprus needs to take to address these issues and challenges. Based on the findings of this study, the following recommendations are provided:

Firstly, clear, precise, and stringent guidelines in order to properly employ renewable energy sources to generate electricity while minimizing side effects and unwanted losses. Northern Cyprus must offer trustworthy, regulated, and appropriate standards or guidelines in this area. These standards will outline all useful and important characteristics and factors in the areas of PV panel mounting systems, PV panel installation techniques, and PV panel operation that should be taken into consideration during the design, installation, and operation of these systems. The following should be strictly taken into account in the standard, according to the findings of the study:

Secondly, Northern Cyprus lacks a regulatory authority to oversee the implementation of mounting system standards; as a result, even the general guidelines for PV panel mounting systems issued by some municipalities are not followed due to a lack of quality control and stringent supervision. Consideration of proper inspection by the competent body guarantees that the regulations and requirements are carefully adhered to. It would be beneficial for the Turkish Municipality of Nicosia to deal with this issue in detail and be a pioneer for other municipalities.

It should be noted that these two steps must be implemented simultaneously in order to solve issues associated with installing PV panels and mounting systems, increase electricity generation, improve the safety of PV panels and citizens, minimize concerns and losses, lessen reliance on oil-based products, maintain the aesthetics of cities, save financial resources, and increase residents’ desire for the installation of PV panels.