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Energy Yield of Photovoltaic

Modules and Systems

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Contents
03 Solar power in a complex environment
03 Standard testing and solar cell prices
04 Taking account of climate
05 More accurate energy yield estimates
05 Our new energy rating label
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SOL AR POWER IN A COMPLEX ENVIRONMENT

Photovoltaic (PV) systems need to generate reliable and safe power throughout
their predicted life time of more than 25 years of operation while being subjected
to a wide range of environmental conditions, sometimes even extreme
conditions. But as solar module prices continue to fall, today’s PV systems also
have to be economically viable in the light of current developments in the PV
module market. Investors are constantly looking for assurances that the module
technology they are planning to finance will in fact produce the expected energy
yield and reward their investment.

With the fast growth of the PV sector worldwide and the rapid development of
new module technologies and materials, reliable determination of PV systems
performance is becoming both increasingly important and increasingly complex.
However, conventional power output ratings often do not suffice in determining
how a given PV module or system will perform under varying real-life conditions
and in the long term. Continuous sophisticated quality testing and technological
improvements are required in order to find the best module for a particular
operating environment, while keeping up with changes in the PV market and
ultimately securing a return on investment. In addition, precise energy ratings
in the laboratory and energy yield measurements under real outdoor conditions
must be carried out. PV technology certification expert TÜV Rheinland takes
these factors into consideration with the aim of contributing to the reliable and
safe operation of PV systems.

S TA N D A R D T E S T I N G A N D S O L A R C E L L P R I C E S
The technical efficiency and cost-effectiveness of solar modules used in PV
systems is determined by the amount of sunlight they convert into electricity.
Accordingly, PV module manufacturers base their module pricing on the
predicted energy output of individual PV modules. The energy estimates that
manufacturers work with to set the cost of their products correspond to the
maximum output power that a PV module can achieve under so-called Standard
Test Conditions (STC). Energy yield predictions for PV modules are mostly based
on the efficiency at STC and the average daily amount of solar energy at a given
location.

STC is an internationally recognized method for measuring PV module power

output. A PV module is exposed to a solar irradiance of 1000W/m2, with a
spectral irradiance matching an air mass (AM) of 1.5 and the solar cell operating
at a temperature of 25°C. This corresponds to the irradiance and spectrum
of sunlight on a clear day, incident on a surface tilted at 37 degrees towards
the sun while the sun is at an angle of 41.81 degrees above the horizon. The
standard value of 1.5 for the air mass coefficient, which describes atmospheric
thickness and its influence on the composition of the spectrum of sunlight, was
established as an estimated average for the mid-latitudes.
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The STC value is commonly used by PV module manufacturers as a guideline

for the pricing of PV modules. However, the actual energy yield of PV modules
often varies from simulations based solely on the STC value because real-
life conditions usually differ significantly from ideal laboratory conditions or
the performance of the PV modules is not stable over the long-term. More
specifically, the STC does not take into account a number of climatic conditions
or long-term changes in the behavior of solar modules themselves. Relevant
climatic factors that it neglects include different solar irradiance, spectral effects,
ambient temperature, wind, precipitation, soiling, and air pollution. It also fails to
include relevant characteristics of solar modules such as nominal power output,
low irradiance behavior, spectral and angular effects, the temperature coefficient
as well as operating temperatures and the construction of the plant. Without
incorporating these factors, STC only ever provides manufacturers and investors
with a limited and potentially misleading indication of the actual energy output
of PV modules. Limited access to module data and inaccurate models also
contribute to the uncertainties affecting simulation tools.

TA K I N G A C C O U N T O F C L I M AT E
To stay competitive in today’s fast moving solar energy market, PV module
manufacturers need a more transparent and site-specific energy rating system
that combines weather data, technical data and numerical modeling. With this
goal in mind, we started an extensive field study in 2013 to assess the annual
energy yield that a PV module technology can be expected to achieve in varying
outdoor conditions and has since assessed the energy yield of thousands of PV
modules.

The performance of 15 different PV module technologies was measured at four

different outdoor testing sites across the globe over a one-year period. Test sites
were specifically selected to cover four different climate zones. They are located
in Cologne (Germany) with a moderate Central European climate, Ancona (Italy)
with a Mediterranean climate and a salty atmosphere, Chennai (India) with a
tropical climate close to the equator and Tempe in Arizona (USA) with a dry and
hot climate. Further test sites are located in Saudi-Arabia and Mongolia.

The 15 module technologies that were tested range from thin-film PV modules
to high efficiency crystalline PV modules. More specifically, we tested on
five different silicon (c-Si) module types with different front glass from three
different manufacturers, four CIGS thin-film module variants from four different
manufacturers, three cadmium telluride (CdTe) module types from two different
manufacturers and three amorphous silicon (a-Si) module types from three
different manufacturers. The various technologies were subjected to extensive
laboratory tests before being introduced into the field for testing. Upon
completion of the site-specific tests in the four locations, the modules were then
analyzed again and checked for signs of possible degradation.

In the course of the study, the respective manufacturers of the modules

being tested were provided with further information as to how their modules
performed under different climate conditions. This has helped module
manufacturers to potentially optimize their technologies according to the results
of the study. This information will also influence the financial decisions that
investors in the PV plant business are planning to make.
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M O R E A C C U R AT E E N E R G Y Y I E L D E S T I M AT E S
A so-called module performance ratio (MPR) is calculated to evaluate the energy
yield of each module type in each set of measurement conditions. The MPR
expresses the percentage of power harvested over one year compared to the
energy harvest expected on the basis of STC nominal power ratings. If the MPR
for a module type equals 1, the energy output of this module type corresponds
to the nominal STC output. If the value is below 1, the efficiency of the module
type is lower than the nominal output. The MPR is calculated by comparing
the specific data captured at the four test sites with data obtained from an
independent laboratory analysis for each of the module technologies. The various
module technologies were analyzed and evaluated according to their MPR to
determine their energy yield. The calculated MPR effectively takes account of
not only the module type used, but also site-specific influences at the location
where the technology was tested.
Several factors have proven to be particularly important in determining the
MPR for PV systems. The site-specific tests conducted by TÜV Rheinland
established that the temperature coefficient and the operating temperature
of a module is the most important factor when it comes to choosing the best
module technology for a specific geographical site. The next most important
factors were differences between the solar spectrum at the test site and the
reference solar spectrum as well as the efficiency of the solar modules in low
light conditions.
A PV system’s MPR also allows a proper understanding of its economy and is
therefore important for financial decision making. For example, on the basis of
MPR measurements at the test site in Tempe (USA), one type of CdTe module
was found to generate 5.7% more energy over one year than a particular type
of c-Si module. This means that the same amount of STC power can be sold
for 5.7% more by simply choosing the right PV system or the customer gets
5.7% more yield (equal to 5.7% more revenue of the overall investment) out of
the same STC power. Another relevant, and potentially surprising test result is
that, because of non-module related costs, high efficiency module types can
sometimes prove to be more cost effective in the long-term even if they are
more expensive on a $/Wp basis.

O U R N E W E N E R G Y R AT I N G L A B E L
With more than 30 years of experience and a global network of partners
TÜV Rheinland is one of the leading quality testing authorities for PV module
manufacturers. Building on this expertise, the high resolution and high accuracy
measurements conducted in our global outdoor testing facilities allow us to
deliver reliable and location-specific data regarding the energy yield of different
PV module technologies. In 2015, we introduced a new energy rating system
based on our expert understanding of how the energy yield of individual module
technologies is influenced by the geographical area and conditions in which they
are used. This rating system has seven different classes, ranging from A+++ for
highest energy yield through to D for lowest energy yield performance. These
labels describe the performance of solar cells depending on the energy yield
that they achieve in a specific climate. The improved accuracy of the new rating
system by us provides investors and stakeholders a better decision-making tool
than STC ratings.
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E N E R G Y Y I E L D R AT I N G
T R O P I C A L C L I M AT E E N E R G Y Y I E L D R AT I N G

A+++ A+++ MPRI > 1,08

A++ A++ A++ MPRI > 1,03
A+ A+ MPRI > 1,01
A A 0,9a9 ≤ MPRI ≤ 1,01
B B MPRI < 0,99
C C MPRI < 0,97
D D MPRI < 0,95
Based on Module Performance Ratio Index (MPRI)

Tested outdoors Oct. 2014 - Oct. 2015 Measurement period

Operating Efficiency 14,8% Level of efficiency

Energy rating labels of TÜV Rheinland for solar cells, developed by the end of 2015.
Describe the quality of solar cells depending on the energy yield that they achieve
in a specific climate.

The new energy categorization is based on MPR data obtained through

extensive field studies and takes account of all the factors relevant to energy
yield, quantifying the gains or losses linked with these factors for each
PV module technology and each climate. The resulting rating system is an
innovative tool that provides PV manufacturers as well as investors with reliable
recommendations as to which module technology will be most suitable for a
given geographic region and type of site. It constitutes a valuable addition to
the existing but unfinished IEC 61853 standards series. The currently existing
Parts 1 and 2 of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard
describe module power output as obtained through laboratory testing. Yet to be
published, Parts 3 and 4 will define a harmonized method for calculating energy
yield and take account of different climates, as our labels do.

The correlation between PV system performance and climate cannot be

generalized and requires continuous testing. However, the new energy yield
rating factors give important information about characteristic variations of
irradiance, module temperature and spectral distribution of sunlight that would
otherwise not have been considered. While energy yield cannot be reliably
predicted using the nominal power value based on STC alone, the new approach
allows solar power forecasts to be made for different climates by using MPR
as the determining parameter. This allows a realistic energy yield rating to be
calculated that is independent of annual meteorological fluctuations. The new
labeling also helps investors in their decision-making process regarding the
long-term financial viability of specific PV module technologies.
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Am Grauen Stein
TÜV Rheinland AG

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