Measurement uncertainty analysis techniques applied to PV performance measurements

Conference · Thu Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1992

OSTI ID:7006865

Wells, C

The purpose of this presentation is to provide a brief introduction to measurement uncertainty analysis, outline how it is done, and illustrate uncertainty analysis with examples drawn from the PV field, with particular emphasis toward its use in PV performance measurements. The uncertainty information we know and state concerning a PV performance measurement or a module test result determines, to a significant extent, the value and quality of that result. What is measurement uncertainty analysis It is an outgrowth of what has commonly been called error analysis. But uncertainty analysis, a more recent development, gives greater insight into measurement processes and tests, experiments, or calibration results. Uncertainty analysis gives us an estimate of the I interval about a measured value or an experiment's final result within which we believe the true value of that quantity will lie. Why should we take the time to perform an uncertainty analysis A rigorous measurement uncertainty analysis: Increases the credibility and value of research results; allows comparisons of results from different labs; helps improve experiment design and identifies where changes are needed to achieve stated objectives (through use of the pre-test analysis); plays a significant role in validating measurements and experimental results, and in demonstrating (through the post-test analysis) that valid data have been acquired; reduces the risk of making erroneous decisions; demonstrates quality assurance and quality control measures have been accomplished; define Valid Data as data having known and documented paths of: Origin, including theory; measurements; traceability to measurement standards; computations; uncertainty analysis of results.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC02-83CH10093
• OSTI ID: 7006865
• Report Number(s): NREL/TP-411-5125; CONF-9209252-1; ON: DE93000019
• Resource Relation: Conference: Photovoltaics performance and reliability workshop, Golden, CO (United States), 16-18 Sep 1992
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS//MATHEMATICS, COMPUTING, AND INFORMATION SCIENCE
DATA COVARIANCES
EVALUATION
SOLAR CELLS
ACCURACY
CALIBRATION
PROBABILITY
QUALITY ASSURANCE
RELIABILITY
SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS
STATISTICS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
EQUIPMENT
MATHEMATICS
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
140501* - Solar Energy Conversion- Photovoltaic Conversion
990200 - Mathematics & Computers