This article was downloaded by: [Tulane University]

On: 27 August 2014, At: 05:55

Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered
office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

International Journal of Sustainable

Energy
Publication details, including instructions for authors and
subscription information:
http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/gsol20

An analytical-numerical approach
for parameter determination of a
five-parameter single-diode model of
photovoltaic cells and modules
a b a
Mohammad Hejri , Hossein Mokhtari , Mohammad Reza Azizian &
c
Lennart Söder
a
Department of Electrical Engineering, Sahand University of
Technology, Sahand New Town, Tabriz, Iran
b
Department of Electrical Engineering, Sharif University of
Technology, Tehran, Iran
c
Department of Electric Power Systems, School of Electrical
Engineering, KTH-Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm,
Sweden
Published online: 03 Dec 2013.

To cite this article: Mohammad Hejri, Hossein Mokhtari, Mohammad Reza Azizian & Lennart Söder
(2013): An analytical-numerical approach for parameter determination of a five-parameter single-
diode model of photovoltaic cells and modules, International Journal of Sustainable Energy, DOI:
10.1080/14786451.2013.863886

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14786451.2013.863886

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the
“Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis,
our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to
the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions
and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors,
and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content
should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources
of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims,
proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or
howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising
out of the use of the Content.
 This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Any
substantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing,
systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms &
Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-
and-conditions
Downloaded by [Tulane University] at 05:55 27 August 2014
 International Journal of Sustainable Energy, 2013
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14786451.2013.863886

An analytical-numerical approach for parameter determination

of a five-parameter single-diode model of photovoltaic cells
and modules
Mohammad Hejria∗ , Hossein Mokhtarib , Mohammad Reza Aziziana and Lennart Söderc
a Department of Electrical Engineering, Sahand University of Technology, Sahand New Town, Tabriz, Iran;
Downloaded by [Tulane University] at 05:55 27 August 2014

b Department of Electrical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran; c Department of

Electric Power Systems, School of Electrical Engineering, KTH-Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm,
Sweden

(Received 28 July 2013; final version received 20 October 2013)

Parameter extraction of the five-parameter single-diode model of solar cells and modules from experimental
data is a challenging problem. These parameters are evaluated from a set of nonlinear equations that cannot
be solved analytically. On the other hand, a numerical solution of such equations needs a suitable initial
guess to converge to a solution. This paper presents a new set of approximate analytical solutions for the
parameters of a five-parameter single-diode model of photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules. The proposed
solutions provide a good initial point which guarantees numerical analysis convergence. The proposed
technique needs only a few data from the PV current-voltage characteristics, i.e. open circuit voltage Voc ,
short circuit current Isc and maximum power point current and voltage Im ; Vm making it a fast and low
cost parameter determination technique. The accuracy of the presented theoretical I–V curves is verified
by experimental data.

Keywords: photovoltaic; PV cells and modules; parameter determination; analytical-numerical approach;

single-diode model; initial point

1. Introduction

The interest in renewable energy resources has been increasing, and in this context, photovoltaic
(PV) systems are more attractive. PV systems have found a special role among all types of
renewable energy systems. They do not have any moving parts and operate silently. They are
modular and can be easily scaled up and down to meet the required power at different load
levels. On the other hand, researches are ongoing both in academia and industry to reduce PV
systems’ costs and increase their efficiency. In this regard, developing suitable models for PV cells
and modules to simulate and predict their behaviour is of particular importance for the design,
manufacturing and evaluation of PV systems.
Currently, two main models are available for PV cells and modules, i.e. single-diode (Phang,
Chan, and Phillips 1984; Chan and Phang 1987; Wasynczuk 1989; de Blas et al. 2002; Liu and
Dougal 2002; AbdulHadi, Al-Ibrahim, and Virk 2004; Xiao, Dunford, and Capel 2004; Milosevic
and Anderson 2006; Bouzidi, Chegaar, and Bouhemadou 2007; Celik and Acikgoz 2007; Chenni

∗ Corresponding author. Email: hejri@sut.ac.ir

© 2013 Taylor & Francis

 2 M. Hejri et al.

et al. 2007; Sera, Teodorescu, and Rodriguez 2007; Villalva, Gazoli, and Filho 2009; Zagrouba
et al. 2010; Qin and Kimball 2011; Tina and Ventura 2013) and double-diode (Araujo, Sanchez,
and Martf 1982; Charles et al. 1985; Polman et al. 1986; Chan and Phang 1987; Enebish et al.
1993; Hovinen 1994; Gow and Manning 1999; Yordanov, Midtgard, and Saetre 2010) models.
Single-diode models have shown themselves as a good trade-off between the model accuracy
and complexity of the computations (de Blas et al. 2002). To use these models, it is necessary
to determine their parameters. There are two main techniques for parameter determination of the
PV models (Yordanov, Midtgard, and Saetre 2010). In one technique, the values of a few selected
key points from the I–V curves such as short circuit current Isc , open circuit voltage Voc , current
and voltage at the maximum power point (MPP) Im ; Vm , and the slopes of the current-voltage
characteristic at the open and short circuit points Rso ; Rsh are used. This approach is attractive
because of its speed and need to a few data from I–V curves.
In another method, the well-known concept of data modelling or curve fitting is used. In this
Downloaded by [Tulane University] at 05:55 27 August 2014

technique, the calculated current-voltage characteristic is fit to the entire experimental curve
(Araujo, Sanchez, and Martf 1982; Bouzidi, Chegaar, and Bouhemadou 2007; Zagrouba et al.
2010; Qin and Kimball 2011; Bonanno et al. 2012). This approach results in a non-convex opti-
misation problem that may be solved based on classic gradient-based methods (Araujo, Sanchez,
and Martf 1982; Bouzidi, Chegaar, and Bouhemadou 2007; Bonanno et al. 2012) or on the basis
of heuristic approaches (Zagrouba et al. 2010; Qin and Kimball 2011). Classic gradient-based
optimisation procedures depending on the initial point may lead to local optima without physi-
cal meaning (Zagrouba et al. 2010). In AbdulHadi, Al-Ibrahim, and Virk (2004) and Yordanov,
Midtgard, and Saetre (2010), soft computing-based approaches such as neural networks and
neuro-fuzzy models are developed for solar cells. The heuristic-based algorithms must be run
several times to obtain some good solutions. These methods are in fact a compromise between
time and quality. Data modelling approaches need all the experimental points of the I–V or P–V
curves, and therefore, are expensive. Moreover, their accuracy depends on the fitting algorithms
and fitting criterion (Yordanov, Midtgard, and Saetre 2010).
In all of the preceding methods, the equations describing PV models are implicit and nonlin-
ear which make finding a numeric or algebraic solution a challenging problem. Therefore, the
determination of PV model parameters is an ongoing research field.
In Celik and Acikgoz (2007), some formulations are given to calculate the parameters of the
five-parameter single-diode model. However, the proposed equations are based on the slope of the
I–V curve in the open and short circuit points, i.e. Rso and Rsh which are not normally provided by
manufacturers. In Phang, Chan, and Phillips (1984), Chan and Phang (1987) and Ikegami et al.
(2001) some simplified analytical solutions for the parameter extraction of the single-diode and
double-diode models are presented. However, all of these works need the slope of the current-
voltage characteristic of the solar module at short circuit and open circuit points which are not
available from the PV manufacturers. On the other hand, experimental determination of these
slopes with a high degree of accuracy is not a simple task (de Blas et al. 2002). In these works,
the convergence problem in the numerical schemes has become a motivation for developing
approximate analytical solutions (AAS).
In Villalva, Gazoli, and Filho (2009), the authors present an iterative technique on the basis
of an optimisation method in which the goal is to adjust the values of the series and parallel
resistances such that the peak of the mathematical P–V curve coincides with the experimental
peak power. However, the proposed technique needs empirical I–V curves to modify the value of
the diode ideality factor and improve the model accuracy.
In Kennerud (1969), the electric parameters of the PV modules are expressed based on per
unit values. This makes the comparison and selection process of the PV modules directly and
easier. However, the determination of the series and shunt resistances of the single-diode model
is not presented. In Sera, Teodorescu, and Rodriguez (2007), the parameters of the single-diode
 International Journal of Sustainable Energy 3

model for a specific PV module are identified based on only limited data from I–V curves, i.e. the
open circuit voltage Voc , the short circuit current Isc and the MPP current and voltage Im ; Vm . The
authors solve the original nonlinear equations numerically. However, the selection of initial values
and convergence issues are not discussed. In Liu and Dougal (2002), an electro-thermal model is
developed for the solar arrays. Although the proposed model is more accurate for predicting and
simulating of static and dynamic behaviours of the solar cells, the parameter identification of the
proposed model is not discussed.
A more simplified model, called as four-parameter model, is proposed in Chenni et al. (2007),
Carrero, Amador, and Arnaltes (2007), and Xiao, Dunford, and Capel (2004) neglecting the
shunt resistance from the five-parameter single-diode model. Although the parameters of such a
simplified model can be determined by the limited data provided by the manufacturers, however
as it is shown in Celik and Acikgoz (2007), the accuracy of this model in characterising the I–V
curves is less than that of the five-parameter model.
Downloaded by [Tulane University] at 05:55 27 August 2014

In Tina and Ventura (2013), an optimisation-based approach to extract the parameters of the
five-parameter single-diode model is proposed based on the manufacturer data in the standard test
condition (STC). The PV current-voltage relationship is evaluated at three key points, namely, the
open circuit, the short circuit and the MPP. Moreover, the derivative of the PV power with respect
to the voltage is taken equal to zero at the MPP as the fourth equation. Starting with the system
of four equations with five unknown parameters, the problem is formulated as an unconstrained
nonlinear optimisation problem with an objective function containing two variables of the series
resistance and the diode ideality factor. However, in this work, no analytical expressions are
proposed as the initial point to facilitate the convergence of the numerical iterations.
It can be concluded that there is a need for a fast method that can accurately identify the
parameters of the five-parameter single-diode model of PV cells and modules based on only the
limited data provided by the manufacturers, i.e. Voc ; Isc ; Vm and Im . In this paper, a new set
of simplified analytical solutions is presented for the five-parameter single-diode model of PV
cells and modules based on the coordinates of the three key points of the I–V curves, i.e. the
open circuit voltage Voc , the short circuit current Isc and the MPP current and voltage Im ; Vm .
These solutions provide an initial guess to numerically solve the original nonlinear equations.
The performance of the proposed analytical solutions is evaluated by their comparing with the
numerical ones.
The paper is organised as follows. In Section 2, the mathematical formulations of the five-
parameter single-diode model of the PV cells and modules are given, and a new set of simplified
analytical solutions are derived. Section 3 illustrates the results when the proposed technique
is applied to different PV modules and verifies the suggested parameter identification scheme.
Finally, the conclusions are made in Section 4.

2. Mathematical formulation of the single-diode model of PV cells and modules

Figure 1 shows the single-diode equivalent circuit of a PV cell. It should be noted that PV modules
are manufactured from the series connection of PV cells to achieve high power and voltage levels.
Moreover, some bypass diodes are installed in PV modules to avoid avalanche breakdown and hot
spots during partial shading. However, it is a common practice to assume that the characteristics
of the series cells inside of a module are nearly identical. This is only true if the irradiance and
temperature are constant across the entire surface of a module. For a PV module with a size of
1 m2 or less this is likely to be true if it is not partially shaded (Araujo, Sanchez, and Martf 1982;
Sera, Teodorescu, and Rodriguez 2007). As a result, we have considered a PV module model as
a single cell with some multipliers incorporated in the cell model dependent upon the number of
 4 M. Hejri et al.

Figure 1. Five-parameter equivalent circuit of a PV cell.

series connected cells in the module. This is a kind of an averaged model for the PV module on
the basis of minor variance among the individual cells.
In Figure 1, the current source Iph models the photon-generated electron hole pairs due to the
influence of the built-in field, the diode in parallel with the current source shows the diffusion
Downloaded by [Tulane University] at 05:55 27 August 2014

of minority carriers in the depletion region, the series resistance Rs stands for the structural
resistances in the PV module and finally parallel resistance Rsh denotes the leakage current in the
p − n junction. According to the equivalent circuit in Figure 1, the PV module current-voltage
relationship for a specified illumination and temperature can be found as:
   
V + Rs I V + Rs I
I = Iph − Is exp −1 − , (1)
Ns nVt Rsh

where, I and V are the terminal current and voltage of the PV module, Is is the diode reverse
saturation current, Ns is the number of series connected PV cells in the PV module, n is the diode
ideality factor and Vt is the cell thermal voltage defined as:

kT
Vt = , (2)
q

where, k is Boltzmann’s constant (1.38 × 10−23 J/K), q is the electron charge (1.6 × 10−19 C) and
T is p − n junction temperature in Kelvin. The main objective is to determine the five parameters
Rs , Rsh , n, Iph and Is using only a few data namely, the open circuit voltage Voc , the short circuit
current Isc and the MPP current and voltage Im , Vm . These data are given by the PV manufacturers
for a specified radiation and temperature conditions that is called as STC. In STC, the radiation
level is 1 kW/m2 with an air mass AM1.5 at cell or panel temperature 25◦ C (Villalva, Gazoli, and
Filho 2009). It should be noted that in case Ns = 1, Equation (1) determines the current-voltage
characteristic for a PV cell rather than a PV module. To simplify the formulations, the shape factor
is defined as in Equation (3).
γ = Ns n. (3)

Obviously, if Ns is available, the value of n can be computed by Equation (3).

2.1. Derivation of the nonlinear equations for the numerical solutions

Equation (1) is evaluated at three points of the PV module I–V curve, i.e. at the open circuit
(0, Voc ), at the short circuit (Isc , 0) and MPP (Im , Vm ) as in Equations (4)–(6), respectively.
   
Voc Voc
0 = Iph − Is exp −1 − , (4)
γ Vt Rsh
 International Journal of Sustainable Energy 5

   
Rs Isc Rs Isc
Isc = Iph − Is exp −1 − , (5)
γ Vt Rsh
   
Vm + Rs Im Vm + Rs Im
Im = Iph − Is exp −1 − . (6)
γ Vt Rsh

The power transferred at each point on the PV module I–V curve is given by:

P = VI. (7)

The power term in Equation (7) is differentiated with respect to V as:

 
dP dI
= V + I. (8)
Downloaded by [Tulane University] at 05:55 27 August 2014

dV dV

The derivative of the power with respect to the voltage at the MPP is zero. Therefore:

dI Im
=− . (9)
dV Vm

Now, the term dI/dV can be obtained by taking the derivative of Equation (1) with respect to
V , i.e.:
     
dI Is dI V + Rs I 1 dI
=− 1 + Rs exp − 1 + Rs . (10)
dV γ Vt dV γ Vt Rsh dV
By substituting Equation (10) into Equation (9), the following equation is obtained.
     
Im Is Im Vm + Rs Im 1 Im
= 1 − Rs exp + 1 − Rs . (11)
Vm γ Vt Vm γ Vt Rsh Vm

Using Equation (4), one can write:

   
Voc Voc
Iph = + Is exp −1 . (12)
Rsh γ Vt

Substituting Equation (12) into Equations (5) and (6) yields:

    
Voc Rs Isc Voc − Rs Isc
Isc = Is exp − exp + , (13)
γ Vt γ Vt Rsh
      
Rs Voc V m + R s Im Voc − Vm
Im 1 + = Is exp − exp + . (14)
Rsh γ Vt γ Vt Rsh

Equations (11), (13) and (14) are three independent equations with four unknown variables Rs ,
Rsh , γ and Is . Therefore, one further equation is needed. At the short circuit point on the I–V curve,
I = Isc , V = 0, dI/dV |V =0 = −1/Rsho . Substituting these values into Equation (10) results in:
  
1 Is Rs Isc
(Rsho − Rs ) + exp − 1 = 0. (15)
Rsh γ Vt γ Vt
 6 M. Hejri et al.

Now, a new unknown variable Rsho is created. As it is shown in Phang, Chan, and Phillips
(1984), assuming Rsho , Rsh  Rs and (Is /γ Vt ) exp(Rs Isc /γ Vt )  1/Rsh , from Equation (15) one
can conclude that Rsho ∼
= Rsh . Therefore, Equation (15) can be rewritten as:
  
1 Is Rs Isc
(Rsh − Rs ) + exp − 1 = 0. (16)
Rsh γ Vt γ Vt

This is equivalent to:

 
Rs Is Rs Isc
− + (Rsh − Rs ) exp = 0. (17)
Rsh γ Vt γ Vt
Equations (11), (13), (14) and (17) are four independent equations with four unknown variables Rs ,
Rsh , γ and Is . These equations can be solved numerically via Newton-Raphson method. However,
Downloaded by [Tulane University] at 05:55 27 August 2014

as it will be shown later, due to the very small value of Is in the Jacobian matrix and the dependence
of the numerical solution (NS) method on the initial value, the iteration may not converge to a
desirable solution. Therefore, we continue the analysis to eliminate Is from the formulations and
obtain a new set of equations with only three unknown variables: Rs , Rsh and γ .
For the PV modules the approximation exp(Voc /Vt )  exp(Rs Isc /Vt ) is valid (Phang, Chan,
and Phillips 1984; Chan and Phang 1987). Therefore, Equation (13) can be rewritten as:
   
−Voc + (Rs + Rsh )Isc Voc
Is = exp − . (18)
Rsh γ Vt

Substituting Equation (18) into Equations (11), (14) and (17) results in the following equations,
respectively.
    
Im 1 Im −Voc + (Rs + Rsh )Isc Vm − Voc + Rs Im
− 1 − Rs exp
Vm γ Vt Vm Rsh γ Vt
 
1 Im
− 1 − Rs = 0, (19)
Rsh Vm
     
Rs −Voc + (Rs + Rsh )Isc Vm − Voc + Rs Im Voc − Vm
− Im 1 + + 1 − exp + = 0,
Rsh Rsh γ Vt Rsh
(20)
   
Rs Rsh − Rs −Voc + (Rs + Rsh )Isc Rs Isc − Voc
− + + exp = 0. (21)
Rsh γ Vt Rsh γ Vt

For NS of Equations (19)–(21) with three unknown variables Rs , Rsh and γ , or Equations (11),
(13), (14) and (17) with four unknown variables Rs , Rsh , Is and γ , a good estimation for the initial
point is needed. The idea is to obtain a set of AAS and use them as a candidate for the initial point.
The next section shows how these simplified analytical solutions can be derived based on some
reasonable assumptions.

2.2. Derivation of the approximated analytical solutions as an initial point

Considering Rsh  Rs , 1 + Rs /Rsh can be approximated by Equation 1. Furthermore, the approx-

imations Isc  Voc /Rsh , 1/Rsh (1 − Rs Im /Vm ) ∼
= 0 and (Voc − Vm )/Rsh ∼= 0 are valid (Phang,
Chan, and Phillips 1984). According to these reasonable assumptions, the term (−Voc +
(Rs + Rsh )Isc )/Rsh be approximated by Isc . Therefore, Equations (19), (20) and (21) change to
 International Journal of Sustainable Energy 7

Equations (22)–(24), respectively.

   
Im Isc Im Vm − Voc + Rs Im
− 1 − Rs exp = 0, (22)
Vm γ Vt Vm γ Vt
  
Vm − Voc + Rs Im
− Im + Isc 1 − exp = 0, (23)
γ Vt
 
2
Isc Rsh Rs Isc − Voc
− Rs + exp = 0. (24)
γ Vt γ Vt

Equation (18) can also be simplified as:

 
Voc
Is = Isc exp − . (25)
Downloaded by [Tulane University] at 05:55 27 August 2014

γ Vt

Now using Equation (25) and ignoring the term Voc /Rsh , Equation (12) can be written as:

Iph = Isc . (26)

Elimination of the exponential term between Equations (22) and (23), yields:

Vm Im Rs Im
− = . (27)
γ Vt Isc − Im γ Vt

Equation (23) can be rewritten as:

Isc − Im Vm + Rs Im − Voc
ln = . (28)
Isc γ Vt

Now using Equations (27) and (28) one can obtain the approximated analytical solutions for γ
and Rs as:

2Vm − Voc
γ = , (29)
Vt [ln((Isc − Im )/Isc ) + Im /(Isc − Im )]
Vm (2Vm − Voc )/(Isc − Im )
Rs = − . (30)
Im [ln((Isc − Im )/Isc ) + Im /(Isc − Im )]

After computing γ and Rs , one can use Equation (24) to obtain an approximate value for Rsh as:

Rs
Rsh = . (31)
(Isc /γ Vt ) exp((Rs Isc − Voc )/γ Vt )

Equations (25), (26) and (29)–(31) are used as an initial point candidate for the NSs of the set of
nonlinear equations either in Equations (11), (13), (14) and (17) including Is or Equations (19)–(21)
excluding of Is .

2.2.1. Negative series resistance problem

In some cases in which the PV module has a very small series resistance, Equation (30) results
in an unrealistic negative value. In these cases, the initial value of Rs is set to zero.
 8 M. Hejri et al.

Substituting Rs = 0 into Equations (19) and (20) yields:

   
Im 1 Voc Vm − Voc 1
− Isc − exp − = 0, (32)
Vm γ Vt Rsh γ Vt Rsh
   
Voc Vm − Voc Voc − Vm
− Im + Isc − 1 − exp + = 0. (33)
Rsh γ Vt Rsh

Now, neglecting the terms Voc /Rsh and (Voc − Vm )/Rsh in Equation (33) and solving this equation
in terms of γ , yield:
Vm − Voc
γ = . (34)
Vt (1 − Im /Isc )
By substituting Equations (34) into (32), the value of Rsh is estimated as:
Downloaded by [Tulane University] at 05:55 27 August 2014

Num
Rsh = , (35)
Den
where
(1 − Im /Isc ) ln(1 − Im /Isc )
Num = 1 + ,
1 − Vm /Voc
 
Im Isc − Im Im
Den = − ln 1 − .
Vm Vm − Voc Isc

However, as it will be shown in Section 3, for some PV modules the proposed initial value by
Equation (35) may not result in a convergence of the numerical iterations. In such cases, one can
use the slope of the line connecting the short circuit and MPPs on the I–V curve as an estimation
for Rsh , i.e.
Vm
Rsh = . (36)
Isc − Im
Therefore, Rs = 0, Equations (34), (35) or (36) propose a new initial point for the nonlinear
equations in Equations (19)–(21) when Equation (30) yields a negative value for Rs .

3. Results and discussion

The values of the open circuit voltage Voc , the short circuit current Isc , current and voltage at the
MPP Im , Vm of the three PV modules from different manufacturers are given in Table 1.
These values have already been used in other literatures, i.e. KC200GT in Villalva, Gazoli, and
Filho (2009), BP-MSX120 in Sera, Teodorescu, and Rodriguez (2007) and BP-MSX60 in Xiao,
Dunford, and Capel (2004) and Walker (2001). Table 1 also gives AAS and NSs for the parameters
of the single-diode model. In this table, the term Error (%) given by Equation (37) is the relative
error percentage between the accurate numerical and the AAS.
Xnumerical − Xanalytical
Error(%) = × 100, (37)
Xnumerical
where Xnumerical is the estimated parameter by the NSs and Xanalytical is the estimated parameter by
the AAS.
The parameters of the five-parameter model in this table are extracted using the NS of
Equations (19)–(21) and the AAS as the initial point.
 International Journal of Sustainable Energy 9

Table 1. Datasheet values of the three PV modules used for parameter identification.

Datasheet Module KC200GT Module BP-MSX120 Module BP-MSX60

values (KYOCERA PV modules) (BP Solar Global Marketing) (MSX-64 PV modules)

Voc (V) 32.9 42.1 21.1

Isc (A) 8.21 3.87 3.8
Vm (V) 26.3 33.7 17.1
Im (A) 7.61 3.56 3.5
Pm (W) 200 120 60
Ns 54 72 36
Identified parameters for the five-parameter single-diode model via the NS of Equations (19)–(21)
Solutions NS AAS Error (%) NS AAS Error (%) NS AAS Error (%)

Rs () 0.217 0.194 10.409 0.473 0.357 24.461 0.169 0.101 39.984
Rsh () 951.932 640.771 49.453 1365.848 690.397 32.687 637.571 266.856 58.144
Downloaded by [Tulane University] at 05:55 27 August 2014

n 1.340 1.410 −5.170 1.396 1.526 −9.279 1.403 1.551 −10.539

γ 72.389 76.135 −5.170 100.538 109.866 −9.279 50.514 55.838 −10.539
Is (μA) 0.171 0.410 −139.628 0.323 1.297 −301.887 0.329 1.566 −374.955
Iph (A) 8.212 8.210 0.023 3.871 3.870 0.035 3.801 3.800 0.026

Table 2. Identified parameters for PV modules of Table 1 via the NS of

Equations (11), (13), (14) and (17).

Solutions KC200GT BP-MSX120 BP-MSX60

Rs () 0.217 0.473 –

Rsh () 951.927 1365.831 –
n 1.34 1.396 –
γ 72.398 100.538 –
Is (μA) 0.171 0.323 –
Iph (A) 8.212 3.871 –

Table 2 gives the identified parameters of the PV modules through the NS of Equations (11),
(13), (14) and (17). Using the AAS as the initial point, the convergence is obtained only for the
PV modules KC200GT and BP-MSX120.
Comparing the results of Tables 1 and 2, one can see that there is a good agreement between
the NS of the set of equations in (19)–(21) and (11), (13), (14) and (17). This also proves the
accuracy of the assumptions in driving Equations (19)–(21). Moreover, in case that the NS of the
original equations in (11), (13), (14) and (17), does not yield any convergence, one can use the
simplified version of these equations in (19)–(21) with a reasonable accuracy.
Figures 2–4 show the simulated I–V curves for the PV modules of Table 1 plotted against
the experimental data taken from the manufacturers’ datasheets. The theoretical I–V curves are
obtained via the NS of Equation (1) with respect to the unknown variable I and the values of 0 to
Voc for V . As it can be seen from these figures, there is a good agreement between the simulated
I–V curves and empirical data. During testing of the proposed method on different PV modules,
it is observed that Equation (30) gives unrealistic negative value for the series resistance in some
PV modules. In these cases, one can use the proposed initial values in Section 2.2.1 as Rs = 0,
Equations (34) and (35).
Table 3 gives the parameters of the three PV modules different from those in Table 1. Similar
to the case of the module MSX60, the application of the proposed AAS for finding initial values
for the numerical analysis of Equations (11), (13), (14) and (17) does not yield any convergence.
The main reason is that the set of equations in (11), (13), (14) and (17) are more sensitive to the
accuracy of the initial guess as compared with the set of equations in (19)–(21). This is due to the
 10 M. Hejri et al.
Downloaded by [Tulane University] at 05:55 27 August 2014

Figure 2. Theoretical I–V curve and experimental data for the PV module KC200GT.

Figure 3. Theoretical I–V curve and experimental data for the PV module BP-MSX120.

Figure 4. Theoretical I–V curve and experimental data for the PV module BP-MSX60.
 International Journal of Sustainable Energy 11

Table 3. Datasheet values of the three PV modules with small series resistance.

Datasheet Module GEPV110 Module SM10 Module SPR-210

values (110 W PV module) (solar module) (high-efficiency PV module)

Voc (V) 21.2 19.9 47.7

Isc (A) 7.4 0.71 5.75
Vm (V) 16.7 16.3 40
Im (A) 6.6 0.61 5.25
Pm (W) 110 10 210
Ns 36 33 72
Identified parameters for the five-parameter single-diode model via the NS of Equations (19)–(21)
Solutions NS AAS Error (%) NS AAS Error (%) NS AAS Error (%)

Rs () 0.102 0 100 0.021 0 100 0.006 0 100

Rsh () 99.012 476.693 −381.420 305.808 163 46.698 277.693 11.543 95.847
Downloaded by [Tulane University] at 05:55 27 August 2014

n 1.34 1.410 −28.541 1.610 2.160 −34.420 1.506 1.704 −13.102

γ 61.226 78.701 −28.541 53.159 71.458 −34.420 108.451 122.661 −13.102
Is (μA) 10.145 206.500 −1935.418 0.305 11.581 −369.153 0.206 0.434 −110.536
Iph (A) 7.408 7.400 0.103 0.710 0.710 0.007 5.750 5.750 0.002

Figure 5. CN graph of Jacobian matrix for the module BP-MSX60.

existing of very small term Is in the Jacobian matrix (J) making it to be close to singularity. On
the other hand, as it can be found from Tables 1 and 3, for the modules BP-MSX60, GEPV110,
SM10 and SPR210, the relative errors between the AAS as the initial guess and the NSs of
Equations (19)–(21), are greater than that of the modules KC200GT and BPMSX120.
High sensitivity to the initial point in the system of equations in (11), (13), (14) and (17) can be
evaluated by the condition number (CN) of the Jacobian matrix during different steps of the iter-
ations. Figure 5 shows the variation of the CN of the Jacobian matrix, CN(J) = λmax (J)/λmin (J),
during the numerical iterations for the PV module BPMSX60, where λmax (J) and λmin (J) are the
maximal and minimal eigenvalues of the Jacobian matrix J, respectively. As it can be seen from
this figure, the CN of the Jacobian matrix in the numerical analysis of the set of equations (11),
(13), (14) and (17) is much larger and is not computable due to the singularity of the Jacobian
matrix. Large CNs for the Jacobian matrix in the iterative methods can lead to divergence (Arioli
and Romani 1985; Pyzara, Bylina, and Bylina 2011).
 12 M. Hejri et al.
Downloaded by [Tulane University] at 05:55 27 August 2014

Figure 6. Theoretical I–V curve and experimental data for the PV module GEPV110.

Figure 7. Theoretical I–V curve and experimental data for the PV module SM10.

The parameters of the five-parameter model in Table 3, are derived via NS of Equations (19)–
(21). Even though there is a large difference between the accurate numerical and AAS of Rsh and
Is , the solution convergence is successfully achieved. In the module SM10, computing Rsh from
Equation (35) does not give a good initial point. Therefore, for this module, computing the value
of Rsh from Equation (36) results in convergence in the iterations.
Figures 6–8 show the theoretical I–V curves for the PV modules of Table 3 compared with the
experimental data. It can be observed that the theoretical I–V curves are accurate enough for the
experimental data.
Table 4 gives the quantitative error analysis by the evaluation of the normalised root-mean-
square error (nRMSE) as a criterion to measure the accuracy of the simulated IV curves and
fitting quality with the experimental data shown in Figures 2–7. nRMSE is defined as Tina and
Ventura (2013):
 
(1/N) Ni=1 (Ei − Mi )2
nRMSE (%) =   × 100, (38)
(1/N) Ni=1 Mi2
 International Journal of Sustainable Energy 13
Downloaded by [Tulane University] at 05:55 27 August 2014

Figure 8. Theoretical I–V curve and experimental data for the PV module SPR-210.

Table 4. The evaluation of nRMSE % for simulated IV curves and measured data.

Module type
KC200GT MSX120 GEPV110 MSX60 SM10 SPR210

nRMSE (%) 4.65 6.37 2.21 6.58 5.28 5.16

where, N is the number of measurements, Ei is the estimated value and Mi represents the
measured data.
As it can be seen from this table, the error of the simulated IV curves is below 7%. This proves
the validity of the proposed parameter identification technique for the PV modules.

4. Conclusions

In this paper, a new set of approximate analytic solutions for the parameter extraction of a
five-parameter single-diode model of the PV cells and modules based on only a few data pro-
vided by the manufacturers are derived. Against to the existing identification schemes that need
more information to extract the PV module parameters, the proposed technique only uses the
coordinates of three key points of I–V characteristics, i.e. the open circuit voltage Voc , the short
circuit current Isc and the MPP current and voltage Im ; Vm introducing itself as a fast and low cost
parameter determination technique. It is shown that solutions obtained by the proposed method
are good candidates for initial points to the NS of the original nonlinear equations. This reflects
the concept of the analytical-numerical approach in the parameter determination techniques of
the PV cells and modules. The parameters of different kinds of the PV modules for the five-
parameter single-diode model are identified by the proposed method. The simulated I–V curves
are compared with the experimental data. It is observed that the theoretical I–V curves are accu-
rate enough in representing the experimental data. This proves the satisfactory operation of the
proposed technique.

References

AbdulHadi, M., A. M. Al-Ibrahim, and G. S. Virk. 2004. “Neuro-fuzzy-based Solar Cell Model.” IEEE Transactions on
Energy Conversion 19 (3): 619–624.
 14 M. Hejri et al.

Araujo, G. L., E. Sanchez, and M. Martf. 1982. “Determination of the Two-exponential Solar Cell Equation Parameters
from Empirical Data.” Solar Cells 5 (2): 199–204.
Arioli, M., and F. Romani. 1985. “Relations between Condition Numbers and the Condition Convergence of the Jacobi
Method for Real Positive Definite Matrices.” Numerische Mathematik 46 (1): 31–42.
de Blas, M. A., J. L. Torres, E. Prieto, and A. Garcia. 2002. “Selecting a Suitable Model for Characterizing Photovoltaic
Devices.” Renewable Energy 25 (3): 371–380.
Bonanno, F., G. Capizzi, G. Graditi, C. Napoli, and G. Tina. 2012. “A Radial Basis Function Neural Network
Based Approach for the Electrical Characteristics Estimation of a Photovoltaic Module.” Applied Energy 97:
956–961. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261911008919
Bouzidi, K., M. Chegaar, and A. Bouhemadou. 2007. “Solar Cells Parameters Evaluation Considering the Series and
Shunt Resistance.” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 91 (18): 1647–1651.
BP-MSX120, BP Solar Global Marketing. http://www.soltec-solar.com/html/cms/bp/product msx 120.pdf
Carrero, C., J. Amador, and S. Arnaltes. 2007. “A Single Procedure for Helping PV Designers to Select Silicon PV Modules
and Evaluate the Loss Resistances.” Renewable Energy 32 (15): 2579–2589.
Celik, A. N., and N. Acikgoz. 2007. “Modeling and Experimental Verification of the Operating Current of Mono-crystalline
Photovoltaic Modules using Four and Five Parameter Models.” Applied Energy 84 (1): 1–15.
Chan, D. S. H., and J. C. H. Phang. 1987. “Analytical Methods for the Exraction of Solar-cell Single and Double Diode
Model Parameters from I–V Characteristics.” IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices 34 (2): 286–293.
Downloaded by [Tulane University] at 05:55 27 August 2014

Charles, J. P., I. M. Alaoui, G. Bordure, and P. Mialhe. 1985. “A Critical Study of the Effectiveness of the Sin-
gle and Double Exponential Models for I–V Characterization of Solar Cells.” Solid-State Electronics 28 (8):
807–820.
Chenni, R., M. Makhlouf, T. Kerbache, and A. Bouzid. 2007. “A Detailed Modeling Method for Photovoltaic Cells.”
Energy 32 (9), 1724–1730.
Enebish, N., D. Agchbayar, S. Dorjkhand, and D. Baatar. 1993. “Numerical Analysis of Solar Cell Current-voltage
Characteristics.” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 29 (3): 201–208.
GEPV-110, 110 watt photovoltaic module, GE energy. http://www.powerupco.com/panels/ge/gepv-110 product data
sheet.pdf
Gow, J. A., and C. D. Manning. 1999. “Development of a Photovoltaic Array Model for Use in Power Electronics
Simulation Studies.” IEE Proc., Electric Power Applications 146 (2): 193–200.
Hovinen, A. 1994. “Fitting of the Solar Cell IV-curve to the Two Diode Model.” Phsica Scripta 1994 (T54): 175–176.
Ikegami, T., T. Maezono, F. Nakanishi, Y. Yamagata, and K. Ebihara. 2001. “Estimation of Equivalent Circuit Parameters
of PV Module and its Application to Optimal Operation of PV System.” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells 67
(1–4): 389–395.
KC200GT, KYOCERA photovoltaic modules. http://www.kyocerasolar.com/pdf/specsheets/kc200gt.pdf
Kennerud, K. L. 1969. “Analysis of Performance Degradation in CDS Solar Cells.” IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and
Electronic Systems 5 (6): 912–917.
Liu, S., and R. A. Dougal. 2002. “Dynamic Multiphysics Model for Solar Array.” IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion
17 (2): 285–294.
Milosevic, M., and G. Anderson. 2006. “Decoupling Current Control and Maximum Power Point Control in Small
Power Network with Photovoltaic Source.” Power Systems Conference and Exposition (PSCE), Atlanta, GA,
1005–1011.
MSX-60 and MSX-64 Photovoltaic Modules, BP Solar Global Marketing. http://www.californiasolarcenter.org/newssh/
pdfs/solarex-msx64.pdf
Phang, J. C. H., D. S. H. Chan, and J. R. Phillips. 1984. “Accurate Analytical Methods for the Extraction of Solar Cell
Model Parameters.” Electronics Letters 20 (10): 406–408.
Polman, A., W. G. J. H. M. V. Sark, W. Sinke, and W. Saris. 1986. “A New Method for the Evaluation of Solar Cell
Parameters.” Solar Cells 17 (2): 241–251.
Pyzara, A., B. Bylina, and J. Bylina. 2011. “The Influence of a Matrix Condition Number on Iterative Methods’ Conver-
gence.” IEEE Proceedings of the Federated Conference on Computer Science and Information Systems (FedCSIS),
18–21 September, Szczecin, Poland, 459–464.
Qin, H., and J. W. Kimball. 2011. “Parameter Determination of Photovoltaic Cells from Field Testing Data using Particle
Swarm Optimization.” Power and Energy Conference at Illinois (PECI), IEEE, 1–4.
Sera, D., R. Teodorescu, and P. Rodriguez. 2007. “PV Panel Model Based on Datasheet Values.” IEEE International
Symposium on Industrial Electronics, 2392–2396.
Solar module SM10, Siemens Solar Industries. http://triton.elk.itu.edu.tr/gunes/sm10.pdf
SPR-210-WHT, High efficiency PV module, Sun Power. http://www.10suns.com.au/sunpower210.pdf
Tina, G. M., and C. Ventura. 2013. “Evaluation and Validation of an Electrical Model of Photovoltaic Module Based on
Manufacturer Measurement.” In Sustainability in Energy and Buildings. Smart Innovation Systems and Technologies,
edited by A. Hakansson, M. Höjer, Robert J. Howlett, and Lakhmi C. Jain, Vol. 22, 15–24. New York: Springer Berlin
Heidelberg.
Villalva, M. G., J. R. Gazoli, and E. R. Filho. 2009. “Comprehensive Approach to Modeling and Simulation of Photovoltaic
Arrays.” IEEE Transaction on Power Electronics 24 (5): 1198–1208.
Walker, G. 2001. “Evaluating MPPT Converter Topologies using a Matlab PV Model.” Australian Journal of Electrical
and Electronics Engineering 21 (1): 49–56.
Wasynczuk, O. 1989. “Modeling and Dynamic Performance of a Line Commutated Photovoltaic Inverter System.” IEEE
Transactions on Energy Conversion 4 (3): 337–343.
 International Journal of Sustainable Energy 15

Xiao, W., W. G. Dunford, and A. Capel. 2004. “A Novel Modeling Method for Photovoltaic Cells.” 35th Annual IEEE
Power Electronics Specialists Conference, Aachen, Germany, 1950–1956.
Yordanov, G. H., O. M. Midtgard, and T. O. Saetre. 2010. “Two-Diode Model Revisited: Parameters Extraction from
Semi-log Plots of I–V Data.” 25th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition, Valencia, Spain,
6–10 September, 4156–4163.
Zagrouba, M., A. Sellami, M. Bouaicha, and M. Ksouuri. 2010. “Identification of PV Solar Cells and Modules Parameters
using the Genetic Algorithms: Application to Maximum Power Extraction.” Solar Energy 84 (5): 860–866.
Downloaded by [Tulane University] at 05:55 27 August 2014