Abstract
Photovoltaic (PV) panels are used for both standalone applications and grid-connected systems. In the former case, the PV panels used vary in size, from very small, for smart solar garden lamps, to standard, in order to ensure the necessary electric energy for a house. For these cases, it is very important to choose the best solution in terms of photovoltaic cell materials. In this paper, a comparative study of two commercial photovoltaic panels, monocrystalline and amorphous silicon, is presented. The two photovoltaic panels are measured in natural conditions, during two years, in Brasov, Romania. The emphasis is placed upon the maximum power generated by the two panels, but the cost and the lifetime are also taken into consideration. The gain in average maximum power for the monocrystalline silicon panel varies from 1.9 times for low irradiance to 2.4 times higher than the one obtained from the amorphous silicon panel, during the test period. The temperature of the monocrystalline silicon panels is lower than that of the amorphous silicon panel in the majority of measurements. The degradation rate determined in two years is 1.02% for the monocrystalline silicon panel and 1.97% for the amorphous silicon panel.
Highlights
Different types of photovoltaic cells and panels were created over time in order to improve the performance, to reduce the cost and the amount of the materials used, and to increase their application possibilities
The monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and amorphous silicon panels were tested in Casablanca, Morocco, and the results show that the monocrystalline panel has the best efficiency in both types of day, clear and cloudy [27]
The maximum power generated by the two photovoltaic panels and the normalized power are measured for tilts between 0° and 90° on the N-S direction in order to have an initial image of their behaviour
Summary
Different types of photovoltaic cells and panels were created over time in order to improve the performance, to reduce the cost and the amount of the materials used, and to increase their application possibilities. Bashir et al studied three types of photovoltaic panels in Taxila, Pakistan for winter months taking into account the efficiency and the performance ratio. Dias et al analyzed the models to estimate PV energy and proposed a new one based on results obtained from six types of photovoltaic panels among which are amorphous silicon and monocrystalline silicon in Brazil [14]. Six photovoltaic subsystems located in Madrid were analyzed based on the performance and the degradation rate They find out that the CdTe/CdS technology has 2% in the first two years while the monocrystalline technology has the lowest rate [25]. Ameur et al studied three grid-connected photovoltaic technologies (monocrystalline, polycrystalline, and amorphous silicon) in the region of Ifrane, Morocco. The measurements were made in outdoor conditions, taking into account the temperature of the panels and the solar radiation
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