Photovoltaic module and system performance testing at NREL

Conference · Thu Jun 30 04:00:00 EDT 1994 · AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States)

OSTI ID:7258104

Mrig, L; Caiyem, Y; Rummel, S; Hansen, R; Kroposki, B; Strand, T ^[1]

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1. National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401 (United States)

This paper presents performance data on the long-term outdoor testing of amorphous silicon (a-Si), copper indium diselenide (CIS), and cadmium telluride (CdTe) modules undergoing performance testing at the Outdoor Test Facility at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) over the past several years. Outdoor tests are an important consideration in evaluating and assessing the performance and reliability of these advanced, potentially low-cost thin-film technologies. The paper describes improvements in module efficiencies and performance over the past several years for these thin-film photovoltaic (PV) technologies. The paper also presents data on a 1.8-kW[sub p]a-Si PV system installed in December 1992 at NREL. The system is designed with the array mounted at the local latitude angle and feeding power output to an inverter connected to the local utility grid as an independent power production source. The data acquisition system provides both array and inverter performance data. Information on three additional planned small systems for validating emerging PV technologies is also briefly described.

• DOE Contract Number: AC36-83CH10093
• OSTI ID: 7258104
• Report Number(s): CONF-9310273--
• Conference Information: Journal Name: AIP Conference Proceedings (American Institute of Physics); (United States) Journal Volume: 306:1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
140501* -- Solar Energy Conversion-- Photovoltaic Conversion
140600 -- Solar Energy-- Photovoltaic Power Systems
AMORPHOUS STATE
CADMIUM TELLURIDE SOLAR CELLS
COPPER SELENIDE SOLAR CELLS
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ENERGY SOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE
EQUIPMENT
INDIUM SELENIDE SOLAR CELLS
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
SILICON SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
STABILITY
TESTING