Tree-related shading can cause a significant power loss and an increasing collection of laws have been enacted and are under development to protect the right of PV owners to solar access. A new method to predict the shading losses for a given tree species, orientation to a PV array, and geographic location using existing free tools in order to assist in the prevention of conflicts by creating an environment where PV systems and trees can coexist while maximizing PV performance.
Dereli, Z., Yucedag, C., and Pearce, J.M. (2013) Simple and low-cost method of planning for tree growth and lifetime effects on solar photovoltaic systems performance. Solar Energy, 95, p.300-307.View Resource