Title :
Technical evaluation of two 6-kW mono-Si photovoltaic systems at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Author :
Van Dyk, E. Ernest ; Strand, Troy ; Hansen, Robert
Author_Institution :
Nat. Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO, USA
Abstract :
This paper presents an analysis of performance data on the two 6-kWAC grid-connected photovoltaic systems at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The performance parameters analyzed include DC and AC power, aperture efficiency, energy, capacity factor and performance index which are compared to plane-of-array irradiance, ambient temperature, and back-of-module temperature as a function of time, either daily or monthly. Power ratings of the systems were also obtained for data corresponding to different test conditions. This study has shown, in addition to expected seasonal trends, that system monitoring is a valuable tool in assessing performance and detecting faulty equipment. In addition, methods applied for this study may be used to evaluate and compare systems employing different cell technologies
Keywords :
elemental semiconductors; photovoltaic power systems; silicon; solar cell arrays; solar cells; 6 kW; AC power; DC power; NREL; National Renewable Energy Laboratory; Si; ambient temperature; aperture efficiency; back-of-module temperature; capacity factor; energy; faulty equipment detection; grid-connected photovoltaic systems; mono-Si photovoltaic systems; performance index; plane-of-array irradiance; power ratings; roof mounted solar arrays; technical evaluation; Apertures; Data analysis; Fault detection; Laboratories; Performance analysis; Photovoltaic systems; Renewable energy resources; Solar power generation; System testing; Temperature;
Conference_Titel :
Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 1996., Conference Record of the Twenty Fifth IEEE
Conference_Location :
Washington, DC
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-3166-4
DOI :
10.1109/PVSC.1996.564429
