Performance of a 268 Wp stand-alone PV system test facility

This paper reports on studies carried out on a 268 Wp stand-alone PV test facility installed at the University of Ghana. Parameters measured include solar irradiance, ambient temperature, cell temperature, array voltage, battery voltage, and energy output from the array. An automatic data acquisition system was used to record the data. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect on performance of a PV array due to seasonal climatic changes: for example, the effect due to dust during the period when dust-laden winds blow from the Sahara desert to most sub-Saharan West African countries. The reduced intensity of the solar radiation as would be expected reduced the total array output during the harmattan and the rainy seasons. No visible changes were observed in the PV modules themselves over the period of study, but one of the junction boxes attached to the modules had become severely corroded