Documenti di Didattica
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University of Gondar
in collaboration with
Institute for Sustainable Energy, Environment and
Economy (ISEEE)
University of Calgary
D. Yeboah
Graduate Student, ISEEE, University of Calgary
Introduction to Photovoltaic (Solar) Cells
Cross-Section of a PV Cell
Solar Panel Configurations
Theory of I-V Characterization
where
I0 is the saturation current of the diode
q is the elementary charge 1.6x10-19 Coulombs
Single-Diode Model .
k is a constant of value 1.38x10-23J/K
T is the cell temperature in Kelvin
V is the measured cell voltage that is either produced (power
quadrant) or applied (voltage bias)
n is the diode ideality factor (typically between 1 and 2)
RS and RSH represents the series and shunt resistances respectively
The I-V curve of an illuminated PV cell has the shape as shown below as the
voltage across the measuring load is swept from zero to VOC, and many
performance parameters for the cell can be determined from this data.
The power produced by the cell in Watts can be easily calculated along the I-V
sweep by the equation P=IV. At the ISC and VOC points, the power will be zero
and the maximum value for power will occur between the two. The voltage
and current at this maximum power point are denoted as VMP and IMP
respectively.
Fill Factor
The Fill Factor (FF) is essentially a measure of quality of the
solar cell. It is calculated by comparing the maximum power
to the theoretical power (PT) that would be output at both the
open circuit voltage and short circuit current together.
Efficiency (η)
Efficiency is the ratio of the electrical power output Pout, compared to the
solar power input, Pin, into the PV cell. Pout can be taken to be PMAX since
the solar cell can be operated up to its maximum power output to get the
maximum efficiency.
Temperature Measurement Consideration
When a PV cell is exposed to higher temperatures, ISC
increases slightly, while VOC decreases more significantly.
Due to the series connection, no current can flow through the module, so it
cannot produce any power!
PV Fundamentals: The Solar Module
0V
-44*0.6 = -26.4V
+15*0.6 = +9V
PV Fundamentals: The Solar Module
0V
-44*0.6 = -26.4V
+15*0.6 = +9V
Voltage Across Shaded Cell = -35.4V (Reverse Bias)
PV Fundamentals: The Solar Module
0V
-44*0.6 = -26.4V
+15*0.6 = +9V
0V
-44*0.6 = -26.4V
+15*0.6 = +9V
Solution…
PV Fundamentals: The Solar Module
Normal Operation:
Sub-Modules
Micro-inverters
+
Voc = n*36V
_ +
Voc = n*36V
String of n Modules in Series
Isc = m*8A
m Strings In Parallel
String of n Modules in Series
Inverter
m Strings In Parallel
String of n Modules in Series
AC Ou