Abstract
The shadow effect caused by nearby objects or the lack of cleaning significantly affects the performance of photovoltaics (PV) installations. This article analyses the bypass diode electrical behaviour and the thermal response of a PV crystalline module under shading or soiling conditions. PV cells of different substrings were covered progressively to simulate the effect of shading or soiling while a programmable electronic DC load was connected to a PV module to set an operating voltage. Three different tests were made to different PV crystalline technology. The paper characterizes in real conditions the I–V curve, bypass diode current, and front and back side PV cell temperature with contact sensor and infrared (IR) thermography, respectively. The results showed that the operation voltage established in the PV module defines the electrical bypass diode current and thermal response under normal operating conditions, shading or soiling. To show the bypass diode behaviour in such conditions, I–V curves were obtained, pointing out the value of the current that flows through bypass diodes in the whole voltage range.
Highlights
Photovoltaic (PV) installations can significantly affect their normal operation in shading conditions caused by vegetation or nearby architectural elements [1]
This shading situation is common for urban environments in building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) [3], and for rural environments in photovoltaic greenhouses [4]
PV modules affected by shadow or soiling conditions are subjected to non-homogeneous values of irradiance and temperature, making it work in non-optimal operation conditions, which can lead to hot spots or even burned cells [7]
Summary
Photovoltaic (PV) installations can significantly affect their normal operation in shading conditions caused by vegetation or nearby architectural elements [1]. The accumulation of dirt on the front surface of the module can cause a situation of shading with equivalent effects [2]. This shading situation is common for urban environments in building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) [3], and for rural environments in photovoltaic greenhouses [4]. The effect of non-optimal operation by shading can occur in PV systems integrated with greenhouses, according to the orientation of the installation and the way of sharing the solar radiation with the crop [5]. PV modules affected by shadow or soiling conditions are subjected to non-homogeneous values of irradiance and temperature, making it work in non-optimal operation conditions, which can lead to hot spots or even burned cells [7]
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