Experimental study on the power losses of a single photovoltaic cell and two series and parallel connected cells with partial shadows

Abstract

This study explores the adverse impact on photovoltaic (PV) cells (monocrystalline silicon) caused by obstacles covering different amounts of cell surface area. Experiments for a single cell, as well as modules with two PV cells in series or parallel connections, have been conducted. Under partially shaded conditions, the single cell and parallel modules exhibit a decrease in output current and the decrease ratio is equal to the shading ratio. The series PV module exhibits more deleterious effects including an increase in cell temperature and large decline in output current under different shading conditions. Shading 7.4%, 18.5%, or 29.6% of the area of one of the cells in the series module decreased the current by 15.6%, 37.4%, and 57.6%, respectively, with excess decrease ratios of 8.2%, 18.9%, and 28.0%. This study allows us to conclude that the variations in the reduction of the output of PV cells is highly dependent on the shading conditions of series modules in PV arrays.