Seasonal variations on energy yield of a-Si, hybrid, and crystalline Si PV modules

Abstract

This paper presents a study of long-term outdoor performance of a-Si and hybrid modules mounted in the same location over several years. The modules were also characterized indoors using standard measurement methods employing pulsed solar simulators at the European Solar Test Installation (ESTI). The present study is intended to contribute to future standards on energy rating by presenting a common procedure for correcting the outdoor performance measurements to standard test conditions and comparing the resulting module performance at real and laboratory conditions. A seasonal variation in output, higher in the summer and lower in the winter, suggests that the module performance improves due to annealing when the module temperature is higher. The total output energy per month for these two technologies and a reference c-Si technology is also presented. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.