Effect of module degradation on inverter sizing

The effect of amorphous Silicon (a-Si) module degradation on inverter sizing is investigated in this paper to identify appropriate sizing ratios even if only undegraded data-sheet values are available. The seasonal degradation and annealing pattern of a-Si modules requires special attention to the sizing of inverters for these devices, as is demonstrated in this paper for three types of modules with different degradation rates. The efficiency of the inverters depends on the sizing ratio as well as the DC input voltage. Here data of an inverter with relatively dependence on operating voltage is used. As modules degrade, the optimum ratio of system rated power with respect to inverter nominal power increases by 10 to 15% for the specific inverter. Considering the module life-time, the inverter size chosen to be matched to the degraded power and voltage rating achieves high efficiency over the life-time of the modules, while the inverter chosen to match initial values, as given by some manufacturers on their datasheets, can add about ten percent losses to the operation.