a) Ground Mounted Solar Power Plant
A Solar photovoltaic power plant (MW scale), also known as a solar park, is a large-scale photovoltaic system (PV system) designed for the supply of merchant power into the electricity grid. They are differentiated from most building-mounted and other decentralised solar power applications because they supply power at the utility level, rather than to a local user or users.
The solar power source is via photovoltaic modules that convert light directly to electricity. While, the concentrated solar power is other large-scale solar generation technology, which uses heat to drive a variety of conventional generator systems. Both approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but to date, for a variety of reasons, photovoltaic technology has seen much wider use in the field.
Most Solar power plants are ground mounted PV systems. They can either be fixed tilt or use a single axis or dual axis solar tracker. While tracking improves the overall performance, it also increases the system's installation and maintenance cost. A solar inverter converts the array's power output from DC to AC, and connection to the utility grid is made through a high voltage, three phase step up transformer.
b) Grid Connected Rooftop Solar Power Plant
In grid connected rooftop or small SPV system, the DC power generated from SPV panel is converted to AC power using power conditioning unit and is fed to the grid either of 33 kV/11 kV three phase lines or of 415V/230V three/single phase line depending on the local technical and legal requirements.
These systems generate power during the day time which is utilized by powering captive loads and feed excess power to the grid. In case, when power generated is not sufficient, the captive loads are served by drawing power from the grid.
The concept of rooftop solar is based on the scale of the PV plant rather than the fact whether it is situated on a roof/terrace or not. Hence, the definition of RTS also includes small solar plant on the ground
Type of metering arrangements:
c) Canal Top Solar Power Projects.