Models of photovoltaic module performance: Final report

Technical Report · Thu Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1988

OSTI ID:6813609

Jennings, C

Pacific Gas and Electric Company's Department of Research and Development operates a Photovoltaic (PV) Test Facility in San Ramon, California. Over 40,000 I-V curves were collected by PG and E from May 1984 through December 1986 on 48 PV modules from 13 manufacturers. Single-crystal silicon, polycrystalline silicon, ribbon silicon, thin-film (''amorphous'') silicon, and concentrating PV technologies are represented. Three PV module performance models have been evaluated. Despite the variety of manufacturers represented and the large range of module efficiencies, normalized module power equations are so similar within each PV technology that generic power equations can be developed. Generic power equations are derived for each PV technology and each orientation, since the performance of tracking modules tends to be less dependent on temperature than that of fixed modules. 21 refs., 10 figs., 10 tabs.

• Research Organization: Electric Power Research Inst., Palo Alto, CA (USA); Pacific Gas and Electric Co., San Ramon, CA (USA). Dept. of Engineering Research
• OSTI ID: 6813609
• Report Number(s): EPRI-AP-6006; ON: TI89000287
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
CONVERSION
DATA
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ENERGY CONVERSION
EQUATIONS
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
INFORMATION
MANUFACTURERS
NUMERICAL DATA
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CONVERSION
PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER PLANTS
POWER GENERATION
POWER PLANTS
RELIABILITY
SOLAR POWER PLANTS
TEST FACILITIES
TESTING