Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-30T20:21:14.211Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Use of monthly average solar radiation data for assessing theefficiency of a photovoltaic array

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 October 2014

L.L. Martínez Ortega ,
A. de Faro Orlando  and
M.N. Frota
Get access

Abstract

Efficient solar energy installations depend largely on the availability of meteorologicaland geographical data (geographical coordinates, solar radiation, ambient temperature,wind speed) and the technical characteristics of the photovoltaic arrays. Usually, both,radiation and meteorological measurements are based on hourly surface observational data,not always easily accessible therefore requiring enormous memory capacity to be processed.From a practical point of view, this work investigated whether or not monthly averageresource data can be used to assess the efficiency of the photovoltaic conversion (andthus the electrical energy obtained from this conversion) whenever hourly-basedmeteorological data are scarce or unreliable. Photovoltaic efficiency was calculated frompredicted temperature of the cell by making use of classical analytical models ofphotovoltaic conversion. Calculations performed based on monthly average solar resourcedata reproduced within 0.5 K the temperature of the photovoltaic array and within 6% thetotal amount of energy converted as compared to hourly average solar resource data madeavailable by official solar radiation and meteorological data bases.

Keywords

Solar energyphotovoltaic conversioncell temperaturehourly average solar resourcedatamonthly average solar resource data
Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Metrology and Quality Engineering , Volume 5 , Issue 2 , 2014 , 202
Copyright
© EDP Sciences 2014

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

J.D. Meakin, Photovoltaic conversion. Essay (2012). Department of Mechanical Engineering and Institute of Energy Conversion, University of Delaware. Accessed on Nov 2013, http://www.cengage.com/resource˙ uploads/static˙ resources/0534493394/4891/Ch 12-Essay02.pdf
L.L.M. Ortega, Photovoltaic conversion: comparison among performance methods. MSc Dissertation defended on June, 2013. Postgraduate Metrology Programme. Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil (in Portuguese). www.puc-rio.br/metrologia
J. Duffie, W. Beckman, Solar Engineering of Thermal Processes, 3rd edn. (New York, John Wiley & Sons Inc. 2006), pp. 747–775
American Society for Testing and Materials, E 1036-8: Standard Test Methods for Electrical Performance of Nonconcentrator Terrestrial Photovoltaic Modules and Arrays Using Reference Cells. Pennsylvania: ASTM, 2012, http://www.astm.org/Standards/E1036.htm. Access: Oct. 2nd, 2013
Instituto Nacional de Meteorologia, Rede de Estações Meteorológicas Automáticas do INMET: nota técnica.Brasília: INMET. 2011. 11 p. http://www.inmet.gov.br/portal/css/content/topo˙ iframe/pdf/Nota˙ Tecnica-Rede˙ estacoes˙ INMET.pdf. Access: April 18, 2013.
Retscreen International, Clean Energy Project Analysis Software, Natural Resources Canada, www.retscreen.net. Access: Nov 18, 2013
Q-CELLS. Multicrystalline solar module Q.PRO C05-240. Alemanha. 2012. 2 p. http://www.beawindhog.com/uploads/2/7/8/4/2784216/qbase˙ datasheet˙qc05˙ 20120430.pdf. Access: April 10, 2013
L.L.M. Ortega, M.N. Frota, A.F. Orlando, Photovoltaic conversion: comparison of performance models. Paper accepted for publication in the Proceedings of the International Conference REGSA-2014, to be held March 2014, organized by Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina (Unisul)
D.L. King, et al. Photovoltaic Array Performance Model (Albuquerque, Sandia National Laboratories, 2004), http://prod.sandia.gov/techlib/access-control.cgi/2004/043535.pdf. Acces: Nov. 5th, 2012
Masters, G.M. Renewable and Efficient Electric Power Systems (New Jersey, John Wiley & Sons Inc., 2004), p. 476
M.T. Boyd, Evaluation and Validation of Equivalent Circuit Photovoltaic Solar Cell Performance Models, Dissertation, University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2010, p. 179, http://sel.me.wisc.edu/publications-theses.shtml. Access: Nov 1st, 2012
Frota M.N., Final Report of the R&D Project Light/ANEEL 80/11 (Technological Develop. and innovation on the use of PV technology and its intelligent integration with the grid: an action towards clients of an electricity utility connected to the medium and high voltage”). In Portuguese
International Energy Agency. Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme Annual Report 2011. Paris, 2011. Available for download at: http://www.iea-pvps.org/index.php?id“special –::tag lxir empty(lxir-formule)–id=858" –content==""“global “advance “xTagcount by 1“relax 9–&"no˙ cache“special –::tag lxir empty(lxir-formule)–id=858" –content==""“global “advance “xTagcount by 1“relax 1–&"tx˙ damfrontend˙ pi1[showUid]“special –::tag lxir empty(lxir-formule)–id=858" –content==""“global “advance “xTagcount by 1“relax 1129–&"tx˙ damfrontend˙ pi1[backPid]“special –::tag lxir empty(lxir-formule)–id=858" –content==""“global “advance “xTagcount by 1“relax 9. Access: Oct 5th, 2012
Ministério DE Minas E Energia Do Brasil, Essay concerning introducing solar energy in the Brazilian matrix (Technical note in Portuguese) (Brasília: MME, 2012), p 64 http://www. epe.gov.br/geracao/Documents/Estudos˙ 23/NT˙ EnergiaSolar2012.pdf. Access: February 10, 2013