Performance assessment of solar photovoltaic technologies under different climatic conditions in Brazil

Lucas Rafael do Nascimento, Marília Braga, Rafael Antunes Campos, Helena Flávia Naspolini and Ricardo Rüther

Renewable Energy, 2020, vol. 146, issue C, 1070-1082

Abstract: Utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) generation is being ramped-up in Brazil in recent years, as a result of intense price reductions. Extreme operating temperatures, high humidity levels, and a blue-biased distribution of irradiance in comparison with the standard ASTM G-173 spectrum, lead to contrasting operational outputs of the various commercially-available PV technologies. The performance assessment of six different PV technologies installed at eight different climatic regions in Brazil is presented. This R&D project evaluates eight identical, 54 kWp Evaluation Sites (ESs), all with the following PV technologies: amorphous-silicon (a-Si), microcrystalline-silicon (μc-Si), cadmium-telluride (CdTe), copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS), mono- and multi-crystalline silicon (c-Si and m-Si). All installations operate at a fixed-tilt equal to the corresponding local latitude. Electrical and environmental parameters at all sites are measured continuously at 1-s intervals. Results show a detailed energy loss analysis for all technologies. Thin-film PV modules with a low temperature-coefficient of power presented superior performance. Crystalline silicon modules revealed intense degradation in areas with high relative humidity and temperature. Cloud-edge and cloud-enhancement effects of solar irradiance resulted in irradiance peaks of 1823 W/m2, with long overirradiance events which lasted many minutes over 1600 W/m2, resulting in frequent blowing of string fuses when manufacturers maximum fuse ratings were observed.

Keywords: Photovoltaics; PV performance; Performance ratio; PID; Cloud-enhancement effect; Cloud-edge effect (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:146:y:2020:i:c:p:1070-1082

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2019.06.160

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