Outdoor Experimental Investigation of the Temperature Effect on the Performance of Different PV Modules Materials

Abstract

Desert locations are of great interest for photovoltaic applications due to their high solar availability. However, in these regions, harsh climatic conditions can have a significant impact on the performance and reliability of photovoltaic panels. In the present study, the effect of temperature on the performance of the two PV technologies, Polycrystalline Silicon (pc-Si) and thin film Cadmium Telluride (CdTe), in a hot desert climate was investigated. To accomplish this, one module from each technology was installed in Benguerir city and exposed to outdoor conditions during the hot season of the year (May to October). Results indicate that although pc-Si exhibits higher module efficiency than CdTe, the latter was less temperature-sensitive under high ambient temperature values. In fact, during the monitoring period, CdTe technology demonstrated lower module temperatures than pc-Si, with a daily average temperature deviation of 1.75°C. In addition, the performance ratio and conversion efficiency for pc-Si were reduced by 8.7% and 1.35%, respectively, when the daily average ambient temperature increased from 25°C to 40°C. While with the thin film CdTe technology, the decline in these performance parameters did not exceed 6.8% and 1.05%, respectively.