Photovoltaic I-V curve measurement techniques
Performance evaluation of photovoltaic (PV) arrays under actual field conditions provides important feedback to the module design process. One of the principal methods for assessing an array's performance is to plot its current, I, versus voltage, V, curve. Following a brief review of techniques for measuring the I-V curve, a new, capacitive-based approach is presented. It uses a rapid sweep of the I-V curve that substantially reduces the average power transfer between array and load, and in turn, substantially reduces the size and weight of the curve tracer. Both theoretical and practical aspects of the approach are presented for a 10-kW unit. Performance is verified by comparison with I-V curves obtained by using a conventional load. The agreement is found to be excellent. Approximately an order of magnitude reduction in size, weight and power consumption over conventional units was realized with the experimental I-V curve tracer.
- Research Organization:
- Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Lexington (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76ET20279
- OSTI ID:
- 6764879
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ET/20279-215; ON: DE83000447
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
CAPACITORS
CURRENTS
DATA
DATA ACQUISITION SYSTEMS
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTRONIC CIRCUITS
EQUIPMENT
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
INFORMATION
MEASURING METHODS
NUMERICAL DATA
PERFORMANCE TESTING
POWER RANGE 1-10 KW
SOLAR CELL ARRAYS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
SWEEP CIRCUITS
TESTING