Tag:generator:source=solar
 generator:source = solar
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A generator which produces energy (normally electricity) from the sun. 
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| Group: power |
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| Useful combination |
Status: approved
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| Tools for this tag |
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A generator producing energy from the sun, commonly known as a solar panel. May form part of a solar power plant.
A solar generator can be either a thermal generator which outputs heat energy or (increasingly commonly) a 
Photovoltaic generator which directly produces electrical energy from sunlight.
Mapping Photovoltaic Generators
Solar Park/Solar Farm
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The entire plant is drawn as area
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The individual rows of the solar panel within the solar field can be mapped as follows:
power=generator generator:source=solar generator:method=photovoltaic generator:output:electricity=output rating or generator:output:electricity=yes generator:type=solar_photovoltaic_panel generator:solar:tracking=type of solar tracker or generator:solar:tracking=no location=surface
Rooftop Solar Panels
With the exception of extremely large installations, rooftop solar panels do not form part of a power plant (in industry terms, they're distributed generation), so they only need tagging as generators.
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Additional tags which can be used to provide additional information, which help calculate potential power output:
- Number of modules making up the installation: generator:solar:modules=*. Modern modules have a rating of between 300-370W and measure roughly 1.5 by 1 m.
- Compass orientation of the installation: generator:orientation=*. An alternative is to use the generic direction=* the tag values are the same (points of the compass usually in N,S,E,W,SE ... NNE form, or in degrees 0..360). The latter is to be preferred as it is a more generic tag and it has support in the iD editor.
- Azimuth or pitch: no established tag yet. Values in degrees or flat or vertical.
Mapping Thermal Generators
Concentrated Solar Power Plants
A Concentrated solar power system or concentrated solar thermal power plant concentrates the heat from the sun, usually with an array of mirrors. It then converts this energy to electricity by using a steam turbine.
Usually, the perimeter of a concentrated solar power system should be mapped as a power=plant, with the collector at the centre mapped as a generator.
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The individual rows of the solar collectors within the solar field can be mapped as follows:
power=generator generator:source=solar generator:method=thermal generator:output:heat=* generator:output:hot_water=* generator:output:electricity=* generator:solar:tracking=*
Solar Thermal Collectors
A Solar thermal collector collects heat from the sun. These devices are most commonly found as rooftop solar hot water panels, especially in warm countries. There are also ones designed to warm swimming pool water which can be confused with solar pv as they are often of similar size to a regular solar pv installation.
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 vacuum collector |
See also
- Proposed features/Power generation refinement - approved proposal
- Renewable energy in the United Kingdom/Rooftop Solar PV