Solar Spectral and Module Temperature Influence on the Outdoor Performance of Thin Film PV Modules Deployed on a Sunny Inland Site

Abstract

This work aims at analysing the influence of both module temperature and solar spectrum distribution on the outdoor performance of the following thin film technologies: hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H), cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper indium gallium selenide sulfide (CIGS), and hydrogenated amorphous silicon/hydrogenated microcrystalline silicon hetero-junction (a-Si:H/μc-Si:H). A 12-month experimental campaign carried out in a sunny inland site in which a module of each one of these technologies was tested and measured outdoors has provided the necessary empirical data. Results show that module temperature exerts a limited influence on the performance of the tested a-Si:H, CdTe, and a-Si:H/μc-Si:H modules. In contrast, the outdoor behaviour of the CIGS module is the most affected by its temperature. Blue-rich spectra enhance the outdoor behaviour of the a-Si:H and a-Si:H/μc-Si:H modules while it is the other way round for the CIGS module. However, the CdTe specimen shows little sensitivity to the solar spectrum distribution. Anyway, spectral effects are scarcely relevant on an annual basis, ranging from gains for the CIGS module (1.5%) to losses for the a-Si:H module (1.0%). However, the seasonal impact of the spectrum shape is more noticeable in these two materials; indeed, spectral issues may cause performance gains or losses of up to some 4% when winter and summer periods are considered.

Analysis of the Performance of Various PV Module Technologies in Peru

“…In this sense, foreseeing the PV performance of such technologies under the wide variety of climates existing in this Andean country may be adventurous, although some guesswork may be attempted. In this sense, no fairly good results are likely to be obtained using CIGS in Lima due to the presumably prevailing blue-rich spectra of this site-conducive to spectral losses in this PV material [56]-together with the low irradiance losses this technology exhibits [41]. By contrast, HIT modules are less vulnerable to the influence of temperature and low irradiance levels [41], which may result in a better performance of such PV technology in this site.…”

Field Performance versus Standard Test Condition Efficiency of Tandem Solar Cells and the Singular Case of Perovskites/Silicon Devices

“…These bandgap variations result in an increase of the current generated by the c-Si cell, which compensates to a certain extent for the current mismatch induced by the spectral variations. The data from Denver as well as other data from other locations 76 show that despite the multiplicity of operating conditions (seasonal variations, different cloud cover, etc. ), there exists a general correlation between APE and the temperature of the module.…”

Modelling the Spectral Influence on Photovoltaic Device Performance Using the Average Photon Energy and the Depth of a Water Absorption Band for Improved Forecasting

“…The variation in APE also exhibits a sinusoidal pattern with a decrease in the winter months (October-February) relative to the summer months March-September. The dashed line shows the AM1.5 reference spectrum, which, between 350-1050 nm, is equal to 1.88 eV [67]. Relative to the AM1.5 reference spectrum, the prevailing spectral irradiance conditions during the summer months are similar to AM1.5, with a slight blue shift in July.…”