Performance Assessment of Four Different Photovoltaic Technologies in Poland

Agata Zdyb and Slawomir Gulkowski
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Agata Zdyb: Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Lublin University of Technology, Nadbystrzycka 40B, 20-618 Lublin, Poland
Slawomir Gulkowski: Department of Renewable Energy Engineering, Faculty of Environmental Engineering, Lublin University of Technology, Nadbystrzycka 40B, 20-618 Lublin, Poland

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-17

Abstract: Due to the observed increase of photovoltaic installations capacity in Poland, the research on the performance of different modules became an important issue from the practical and scientific point of view. This paper is intended to help system planners to choose photovoltaic modules and inverters taking into account the actual operating conditions. The study is devoted to the assessment of four different technologies of photovoltaic modules: polycrystalline silicon (pc-Si), amorphous silicon (a-Si), copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), and cadmium telluride (CdTe). The data was collected at a solar plant located at high latitude location, in the eastern part of Poland, during the fourth year of the plant operation. The influence of irradiance on the temperature and efficiency of modules was studied. The results show that the efficiency of the pc-Si and CIGS modules decreases with rising temperature; however, the efficiency of the a-Si and CdTe modules is more stable. The impact of changing external conditions on the inverter efficiency as well as array and system losses during various seasons of the year was shown. The inverter efficiency reaches up to 98% in summer and drops as low as 30% in winter. Small average array capture losses of 7.41 (kWh/kWp)/month (0.25 h/day) are observed for the CIGS and 10.4 (kWh/kWp)/month (0.35 h/day) for pc-Si modules. The a-Si and CdTe array losses are higher, up to 2.83 h/day for CdTe in summer. The results indicate high annual energy yields of the pc-Si and CIGS modules, 1130 kWh/kWp and 1140 kWh/kWp, respectively. This research provided new data on pc-Si and especially the performance of the thin film modules and losses in a photovoltaic installation under temperate climate.

Keywords: photovoltaics; thin film modules; PV performance at high latitude; losses in PV system; inverter efficiency (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (22)

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