The paper deals with an extensive photovoltaic (PV) modules monitoring activity carried out at the outdoor station ESTER (Solar Energy TEst and Research) of the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy. The purpose of the work was to evaluate and compare the performance of PV silicon modules of polycrystalline (poli-Si) and amorphous (a-Si) technologies during a medium-term outdoor exposure at optimized tilt angle, facing south. Two PV modules, one polycrystalline silicon and one double-junction amorphous silicon, have been exposed since May 2009 until Oct. 2010. A complete characterization of the weather conditions at the site during the test has been performed, and the most relevant parameters for the performance comparison of the two technologies have been derived. In order to compare different technologies and power productions, the energy yield (Y) and performance ratio (PR) for the two modules have been evaluated on a monthly and yearly basis. The typical seasonal trend of PR has been observed for the polycrystalline module, essentially due to the temperature influence on the module performance. For the a-Si module, instead, a degradation trend has been observed for the first months of operation. Subsequently, a significant recovery in the PR and energy production has been registered.
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August 2013
Research-Article
Comparative Analysis of Crystalline and Double-Junction Amorphous Silicon Modules Performance in Outdoor Conditions
Cristina Cornaro,
Cristina Cornaro
Department of Enterprise
Engineering and CHOSE,
1, 00133 Rome,
e-mail: cornaro@uniroma2.it
Engineering and CHOSE,
University of Rome Tor Vergata
,Via del Politecnico
,1, 00133 Rome,
Italy
e-mail: cornaro@uniroma2.it
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Davide Musella
Davide Musella
Search for other works by this author on:
Cristina Cornaro
Department of Enterprise
Engineering and CHOSE,
1, 00133 Rome,
e-mail: cornaro@uniroma2.it
Engineering and CHOSE,
University of Rome Tor Vergata
,Via del Politecnico
,1, 00133 Rome,
Italy
e-mail: cornaro@uniroma2.it
Davide Musella
Contributed by the Solar Energy Division of ASME for publication in the Journal of Solar Energy Engineering. Manuscript received September 5, 2012; final manuscript received February 28, 2013; published online June 11, 2013. Assoc. Editor: Santiago Silvestre.
J. Sol. Energy Eng. Aug 2013, 135(3): 031022 (6 pages)
Published Online: June 11, 2013
Article history
Received:
September 5, 2012
Revision Received:
February 28, 2013
Citation
Cornaro, C., and Musella, D. (June 11, 2013). "Comparative Analysis of Crystalline and Double-Junction Amorphous Silicon Modules Performance in Outdoor Conditions." ASME. J. Sol. Energy Eng. August 2013; 135(3): 031022. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4023968
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