ALBERT

Description: This work evaluates the influence of temperature and irradiation on the behavior of mono-crystalline silicon, poly-crystalline silicon, and Copper Indium diselenide (CIS), modules which have been exposed to real conditions. An outdoor experimental setup has been installed, at a Mediterranean site in north latitude 38 °, in order to collect results from current-voltage measurements that corresponded at constant radiation level in order to evaluate the effect of temperature and results from measurements realized at about the same temperature in order to study the effect of irradiation. The results present that the daily generated power normalized to the manufacturer's value is positively influenced by the irradiation and not by the negative effect of temperature. The performance of mono and poly Si appears superior to that of CIS early in the morning, while this advantage is diminished during midday, when the temperature and irradiance are highest, as CIS performance becomes comparable to the other two. However, the temperature affects the efficiency and fill factor for the mono and poly-Si modules recording the lower values on higher temperatures, while it does not the same for the CIS modules. This experimental study can provide information for locations with similar climatic conditions because it helps to take into account variation in temperatures together with variation in radiation and to avoid under-designing of photovoltaic systems and system malfunction.