Title: Effect of environmental conditions on device and performance parameters of thin film photovoltaic modules

Authors: Kandil M. Kandil; Adel A. Ghoneim

Addresses: Applied Sciences Department, College of Technological Studies, Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET), Kuwait ' Applied Sciences Department, College of Technological Studies, Public Authority for Applied Education and Training (PAAET), Kuwait

Abstract: The effects of outdoor temperature and irradiance on the device and performance parameters of thin film amorphous hydrogenated silicon (a-Si:H) module are investigated. An outdoor test facility is installed to perform I-V measurements under different irradiance and temperature conditions. A numerical model considering the effect of series and shunt resistances is developed to determine different module parameters. The device parameters determined from I-V measurements are found to agree well with the corresponding parameters obtained from the developed model. The device parameters extracted from I-V measurements are then employed to investigate device parameters impacts on module performance parameters. Present results indicate that as outdoor temperature increases, the device parameters increase at all irradiance levels studied. Also, the device parameters decrease with increasing irradiance up to 800 W/m₂ then the behaviour starts to be vice versa. While, V^oc and I^sc increase with irradiance but FF and η decrease.

Keywords: device parameters; performance parameters; thin film PV modules; five parameter model.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMATEI.2016.084632

International Journal of Materials Engineering Innovation, 2016 Vol.7 No.3/4, pp.253 - 270

Received: 30 Apr 2016
Accepted: 17 Dec 2016
Published online: 19 Jun 2017 *

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