Published on November 2019 | Renewable Energy, Solar Energy Applications, Photovoltaic Modules

Effect of Transient Performance Changes on Photovoltaic Modules Output

The electrical output and solar energy conversion efficiency of PV modules varies with solar irradiance and ambient temperature. For instance, an increase in ambient temperature or a decrease in solar irradiance both lead to a reduction in output. Transient performance changes on PV modules output may be caused as a result of large fluctuations of the operational conditions due to uncontrollable external parameters such as rain, cloud movement and wind velocity together with changes of factors external to PV systems such as unexpected shading, inverter problems and control failures. The data used in this study is a daily detailed data set (from July 01-15, 2018) from the installed roof-top solar photovoltaic (PV) array at Dublin Energy Lab (DEL), Grangegorman, Ireland. These data were analysed to find the effect of transient performance changes and PV output generation. The effect of transient performance changes were verified from the distorted peaks of day 1 to 5 of the PV output generation. PV performance variations were analysed in a clustered column plot of hourly efficiency, bubble plots showing an increase in hourly efficiency with respect to hourly solar radiation, a decrease in hourly performance ratio with respect to hourly solar radiation, a decrease in hourly global performance ratio with respect to hourly global solar radiation and an increase in hourly solar radiation with respect to hourly global solar radiation. Finally, the effect of daily transient performance changes were unveiled through graphical plots.