Efficiency and performance improvement via using optical reflectors of on-grid CIGS PV solar system

Abstract

CIGS PV solar module is a thin film technology (second generation) that is fabricated from Copper-Indium Gallium Selenide. CIGS an abbreviation of Copper-Indium Gallium Selenide. The system, with which reflectors are incorporated, is 5kWp On-Grid CIGS PV Solar system is located at Al Mansour company, Iraq-Baghdad (latitude 33.3°N, longitude 44.4°E and 41m above the sea level). This study improves performance ratio, array efficiency, electrical power and current. All these improvements are done via increasing solar irradiance by using optical reflectors (fabricates from aluminum metal). The maximum values ( at 12:00PM) of the improved and reference performance ratio, power, current and efficiency are 99% and 76.20%,1.959W and 1.508W, 5.145A and 3.9A, 15% and 11.60% respectively, while the maximum value of solar irradiance and panel temperature for improved and reference systems at 12:00 PM are 1118.9 W/m2 and 844.8 W/m2, 64°C and 58 °C respectively where the air temperature is 37°C. The minimum value ( at 6:00 PM) of the improved and reference performance ratio, power, current and efficiency are 9%and 8.80%, 0.179W and 0.173W, 0.189A and 0.184A, and 1.40% and 1.30%, while the solar irradiance and panel temperature for improved and reference systems at 6:00 PM are 93W/m2 and 90.8 W/m2, 36 °C and 35.8 °C. The maximum values of gains ( at 12:00PM) for performance ratio, power, current and efficiency, solar irradiance and panel temperature are 22.8%, 30%, 31.9%, 3.4%, 32.4% and 6°C. The current study is achieved under clear sky conditions. The novelty in current study is that the improved part performance is 99% which is very close to the standard performance that is 100%, where the reference part performance is 76.2%.