Mapping the performance of PV modules, effects of module type and data averaging

• Published in: Solar energy Vol. 84; no. 2; pp. 324 - 338
• Main Authors: Huld, Thomas, Gottschalg, Ralph, Beyer, Hans Georg, Topič, Marko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01.02.2010; Elsevier; Pergamon Press Inc
• Subjects: AMBIENT TEMPERATURE; Annual energy yield; Applied sciences; Cadmium telluride; CADMIUM TELLURIDE SOLAR CELLS; Copper indium diselenide; Copper indium diselenide solar cells; COPPER SELENIDE SOLAR CELLS; Crystalline silicon; Energy; ENERGY YIELD; Equipments, installations and applications; Estimating techniques; EUROPE; Exact sciences and technology; GEOGRAPHICAL VARIATIONS; INDIUM SELENIDE SOLAR CELLS; IRRADIATION; MAPPING; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; Natural energy; Performance evaluation; Photovoltaic cells; Photovoltaic conversion; Photovoltaics; PROBABILITY DENSITY FUNCTIONS; PV module performance; RADIANT FLUX DENSITY; SATELLITES; SILICON SOLAR CELLS; Solar cells. Photoelectrochemical cells; SOLAR ENERGY; Temperature; TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE; THIN FILMS; Ultraviolet radiation; Europe; Cadmium telluride; Copper indium diselenide; Crystalline silicon; Annual energy yield; PV module performance; Bias; Photovoltaic system; Satellite; Mathematical method; Irradiance; Energy yield; Long term; Modeling; Solar cell; Crystalline material; Thin film cell; Photovoltaic array; Probability density function; Performance; Geographical variation
• ISSN: 0038-092X; 1471-1257
• DOI: 10.1016/j.solener.2009.12.002

A method is presented for estimating the energy yield of photovoltaic (PV) modules at arbitrary locations in a large geographical area. The method applies a mathematical model for the energy performance of PV modules as a function of in-plane irradiance and module temperature and combines this with solar irradiation estimates from satellite data and ambient temperature values from ground station measurements. The method is applied to three different PV technologies: crystalline silicon, CuInSe 2 and CdTe based thin-film technology in order to map their performance in fixed installations across most of Europe and to identify and quantify regional performance factors. It is found that there is a clear technology dependence of the geographical variation in PV performance. It is also shown that using long-term average values of irradiance and temperature leads to a systematic positive bias in the results of up to 3%. It is suggested to use joint probability density functions of temperature and irradiance to overcome this bias.