10/21/2023

ENERGY CONVERSION
Lecture 3
Energy Production from Solar PV

Content
1. PV arrangement
2. Partial shading
3. STC (Standard Test Conditions)
4. Power and energy production

1
 10/21/2023

Size of solar cell

- Voltage: ~0.6V per cell regardless of surface area

- Current: proportional to surface area of the cell

PV arrangement

2
 10/21/2023

I-V curve of solar module

Connection in series

3
 10/21/2023

Connection in parallel

Connection in series-parallel

4
 10/21/2023

Bypass diode and blocking diode

• Blocking diode is mounted in series with the module or string

• Blocking diode is used to prevent current flowing back through the modules
when the modules are shaded or during darkness.
• It’s not necessary, though, in the modern PV system

Blocking diode

• Bypass diode is mounted in parallel with a group of solar cells in series,

usually between 18 to 24 cells
• It serves as the pathway for the current to bypass the shaded cell/cells
• It’s necessary and it always come with the module

10

5
 10/21/2023

Partial shading

Breakdown Voltage

11

Partial shading

17 cellules
éclairées

1 cellule 50%
ombrée
18 cellules

12

6
 10/21/2023

Half-cut cell solar module

• Reduced power losses

• Reduced hot spots and temperature
• Increased partial shading tolerance

13

Standard Test Conditions (STC)

▪Solar irradiance of 1 kW/m2 (1 sun) with spectral
distribution
▪Air mass ratio of 1.5 (AM 1.5).
▪The standard cell temperature for testing purposes is 25°C (it
is important to note that 25°C is cell temperature, not
ambient temperature).

14

7
 10/21/2023

Sample of PV module datasheet

15

Effect of irradiance and

temperature

16

8
 10/21/2023

Cell temperature
Cell temperature varies depending on ambient temperature
and solar insolation

◦ Tcell: Cell temperature

◦ Tamb: Ambient temperature
◦ NOCT: Normal Operating Cell Temperature (usually
provided by manufacturer)
◦ S: Solar insolation [kW/m2]

17

Solar radiation map of Cambodia

https://globalsolaratlas.info/map

18

9
 10/21/2023

Example
Calculate the power loss of the above solar
module if it were to be used in an
environment where ambient temperature is
35 degree at noon time?

19

DC and AC Power
▪To estimate energy production of a grid-connected PV system, let’s
start from rated dc power output of an individual module under
standard test conditions (STC)—that is, 1-sun, AM 1.5 and 25◦C cell
temperature.
▪the actual ac power delivered at 1-sun is

▪The conversion efficiency accounts for

◦ inverter efficiency,
◦ dirty collectors,
◦ mismatched modules, and
◦ differences in ambient conditions.

20

10
 10/21/2023

Inverter efficiency

21

Mismatch losses

22

11
 10/21/2023

Temperature loss
▪Temperature loss is the biggest loss in PV system
▪It’s often indicated in the specification sheet of the solar
module
▪Its loss depends on the deviation of actual cell temperature
from STC cell temperature

23

Peak Sun Hour (PSH)

After having adjusted dc power under STC to
expected ac from the inverter, the second key factor
is the amount of sun available at the site.

24

12
 10/21/2023

Example
If your house consumes 200kWh per month, how
much space is required for solar PV installation?

25

13