Meet Shahroz Anjum: Innovator who revolutionizing solar energy by tackling partial shading | Read her journey here

New Delhi: Because the arena moves towards cleaner energy sources, solar power is popping right into a key player around the world the renewable energy market. In line with the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), solar energy production is about to grow by seventy five p.c, reaching 286 billion kWh by 2025. On the opposite hand, in spite of this promising growth, the solar industry still faces challenges—chief among them being Partial Shading Conditions (PSCs), which significantly impact the efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) systems.

Over the years, several designs such as Straight forward Parallel (SP), Bridge Linked (BL), Honeycomb (HC), and Total Cross Tied (TCT) have been introduced to manage the energy losses resulting from PSCs. Every of these array configurations brings its strengths, yet to boot they include limitations that prevent optimal performance in real-world scenarios, especially in large-scale solar installations. It’s by contrast backdrop that Shahroz Anjum, a Power Generation Engineer at Alliant Energy, has introduced a revolutionary solution that can redefine solar array efficiency.

A Path to Innovation

Anjum’s journey towards solar innovation began for the duration of her academic career. After obtaining a Ph.D. from IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, one of India’s premier engineering institutions, she dove deep into research on renewable energy. “After I turn right into a researcher at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, I realized the growing importance of renewable energy as one of the foremost promising fields of study. Solar energy, in particular, stood out caused by its enormous potential for sustainable electricity generation,” she explained.

Her early work pondering understanding the important thing challenges in optimizing solar power generation through photovoltaic systems. “My first success came in 2020 when I published a paper on strategies to in the reduction of the impact of partial shading on solar panels. It turn into step one towards a broader understanding of a strategy to lift solar technology,” she said. She has described the outcomes of her research in contemporary years in more than 15 international scientific papers and presentations at a form of industry conferences.

At this time time, Shahroz Anjum works as a Power Generation Engineer at Alliant Energy, a utility company with more than $3.sixty six billion in revenue and $18 billion in assets, serving customers in Wisconsin and Iowa.

“At Alliant Energy, I oversee the construction, design, and maintenance of three solar power plants. This hands-on experience in deploying large-scale solar infrastructure has given me deeper insights into the practical challenges of solar power generation,” she noted.

Challenges of Current Solar Designs

Shahroz highlighted the restrictions of current PV array configurations that can maybe be commonly used to mitigate shading issues. “Straight forward Parallel arrays are in particular at risk of shading because if one panel around the world the array is shaded, it affects the performance of the general system. Bridge Linked arrays improve voltage balance across the system, but they still don’t do something about shading well. Honeycomb designs spread shading more evenly across the array, but they are complicated to install and do something about. Total Cross Tied arrays are more practical but still face mismatch problems below partial shading conditions,” she said.

The basic problem with these designs is their inability to manage uneven shading efficiently, which ends up in inconsistent energy production. “Even the foremost sophisticated traditional setups struggle when the shading is dynamic, such as when clouds pass overhead. This ends up in frequent disruptions in energy output,” she added.

A Revolutionary Solution: Arithmetic Sequence Pattern Reconfiguration

“We have got got made tremendous strides in solar energy technology, but shading remains a persistent issue,” said Anjum. “Shading, even on a small section of a panel, can end in drastic reductions in energy output. That's because traditional PV arrays are designed in the sort of technique that the weakest-performing panel limits the current flow for the general system, leading to high energy losses.”

It truly is based on those challenges that Anjum developed her Arithmetic Sequence Pattern (ASP) reconfiguration technique, which represents a significant leap forward in solar array technology. This innovative approach rearranges the panels around the world the array in a strategy that reduces mismatch losses and ensures more stable energy production even below partial shading conditions.

“One in every of the foremost benefits of ASP reconfiguration is that it distributes shading more evenly across the array,” Anjum explained. “This ensures that no single row or string is overly being affected by shading, allowing the system to house a gradual current flow and optimized voltage output. In more effective terms, while a element of the array is shaded, the remainder of the system can continue generating power efficiently.”

The ASP reconfiguration technique also improves the fill factor—a vitally important measure of how efficiently the array is converting sunlight into usable energy. “The following fill factor means more power output, even when conditions are not ideal. That's a vitally important improvement over traditional designs, which often see significant power losses below the same conditions,” Anjum noted.

The Way forward for Solar Technology

While traditional designs such as Total Cross Tied are currently regarded as an awful lot of the absolute best for mitigating shading losses, Anjum’s innovation offers a stronger solution for the very long time. “The Arithmetic Sequence Pattern reconfiguration overcomes among the many restrictions of previous designs. It simplifies the wiring structure, making installation and maintenance a lot less difficult, and it’s highly effective in decreasing shading losses,” she said.

Anjum believes her technique may play a vitally important role around the world the way forward for solar energy. “Because the solar industry grows, we need solutions which are not simplest efficient but also scalable and cost-effective. The ASP reconfiguration technique addresses both of these needs. It’s a future-ready solution that shall be applied across a gigantic collection of solar projects, from small installations to huge utility-scale solar farms,” she explained.

In an industry that’s rapidly evolving, Shahroz Anjum’s work is a shining example of how innovation can push the boundaries of what’s conceivable. “The demand for renewable energy is growing exponentially as populations rise and sustainability becomes more vitally important. Solar energy is at the forefront of this transition, but we need continuous innovation to beat the challenges that include it,” she said.

Together with her new technique, Anjum is confident that solar energy can grow to be much more efficient and reliable. “We have got got the opportunity to make solar power a more sustainable and cost-effective solution for the very long time. Innovations like ASP reconfiguration shall be key to creating certain that solar energy remains a central a element of the worldwide energy mix,” she concluded.