Counting the Sun - a Dutch public awareness campaign on PV performance

Abstract

As part of the Dutch Solar Days a campaign for the public was organized to raise awareness on the importance of monitoring PV systems. During one week, i.e. between May 12 and May 18, 2014, participants were asked to measure or determine the amount of generated energy by their PV systems. Participants were recruited via social media and a national television show. Over 5000 participants responded, thus making the campaign a huge success. The measurement week started with a few cloudy days, but ended with some clear sky days, being a typical week in May. This resulted in an average energy yield of 33.4 kWh/kWp. Yield differences predominantly could be attributed to irradiation differences over the country: at coastal areas a 25% higher yield was observed. The average performance ratio was 0.74, which showed that most systems are performing well.