Impact and performance efficiency analysis of grid-tied solar photovoltaic system based on installation site environmental factors

Abstract

The performance of solar photovoltaic systems tends to decline if the operating conditions change from the nominal operating cell temperature due to environmental factors. The major factors include temperature and humidity variations, which cause thermal losses and open-circuit voltage drops in photovoltaic panels. This study investigates the correlations between solar photovoltaic performance and environmental factors by quantifying the real-time variables including temperature, humidity, dewpoint temperature, and heat index. Furthermore, the study investigates the difference between real-time measured and theoretically calculated temperature values with the help of weather station data to investigate the impact of temperature difference on the overall percentage power loss of the systems. The panels were installed at three distinct sites (rooftop, parking shed, and ground-mounted) connected to the same grid-tied system. Results reveal that the photovoltaic panel temperature has an inverse relation with the dew temperature and the humidity of the surrounding environment. The heat index value was found slightly less at the peak solar hours during the 24 h cycle of the measurement. The difference and relationship between temperature and humidity are measured and losses are highlighted based on the instantaneous occurrence of variables. Based on a difference between measured and calculated temperature values, results reveal that PV systems faced 27.95%, 5.41%, and 0.82% power losses for ground, roof, and parking installed PV systems, respectively.

Comprehensive Analysis of Solar Panel Performance and Correlations with Meteorological Parameters

“…Based on the reviewed literature, it is evident that existing studies on PV cell performance primarily focus on assessing the feasibility of specific locations for solar energy harnessing, − determining the optimal tilt angle for maximum output, , comparing the performance of different PV cell technologies, , and investigating the effects of various meteorological parameters on PV cell performance. The meteorological parameters considered include solar intensity, , ambient temperature, − humidity, − wind speed, ,, and dew point . However, among these studies, only Bhattacharya et al developed a correlation to predict PV module efficiency using meteorological data such as temperature, humidity, and solar radiation.…”

“…They also observed that El Jadida, despite having a lower solar intensity than BeniMellal, had a higher production capacity, indicating the significant influence of meteorological parameters on PV cell productivity. Iqbal et al 26 investigated the power loss caused by temperature, humidity, dew point, and heat index at three different locations: rooftop, parking area, and ground level. They reported that the highest power loss occurred at the ground level, followed by the rooftop and parking areas in sequential order.…”

“…The meteorological parameters considered include solar intensity, 4 , 5 ambient temperature, 4 − 11 humidity, 16 − 21 wind speed, 10 , 18 , 20 and dew point. 26 However, among these studies, only Bhattacharya et al 24 developed a correlation to predict PV module efficiency using meteorological data such as temperature, humidity, and solar radiation. Nevertheless, they did not consider dew point temperature, an important parameter for evaluating solar panel performance, 26 and their correlation was based on a limited number of data points.…”

“… 26 However, among these studies, only Bhattacharya et al 24 developed a correlation to predict PV module efficiency using meteorological data such as temperature, humidity, and solar radiation. Nevertheless, they did not consider dew point temperature, an important parameter for evaluating solar panel performance, 26 and their correlation was based on a limited number of data points. Therefore, it is necessary to revisit and improve this correlation by including dew point temperature as an independent variable and incorporating a larger data set.…”

Assessment of solar load models for bifacial PV panels

“…The efficiency of commercial PV cells is rated between 10 and 20% with $0.1-0.24/kwh (Photovoltaic Energy Factsheet, 2021) (Soomar et al, 2022) while the remaining incident solar energy is mostly wasted as heat, which further reduces their overall efficiency by decreasing the voltage generated. In addition, there are shading losses in a solar panel when every cell in the panel has to operate at the reduced current set by shaded cells which may be remedied by installing panels on the roof or in open lots (Iqbal et al, 2022). Alternatively, there are ways to increase overall energy yield of solar panels.…”