Photovoltaic module and system performance testing at NREL

Abstract

This paper presents performance data on the long‐term outdoor testing of amorphous silicon (a‐Si), copper indium diselenide (CIS), and cadmium telluride (CdTe) modules undergoing performance testing at the Outdoor Test Facility at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) over the past several years. Outdoor tests are an important consideration in evaluating and assessing the performance and reliability of these advanced, potentially low‐cost thin‐film technologies. The paper describes improvements in module efficiencies and performance over the past several years for these thin‐film photovoltaic (PV) technologies. The paper also presents data on a 1.8‐kWpa‐Si PV system installed in December 1992 at NREL. The system is designed with the array mounted at the local latitude angle and feeding power output to an inverter connected to the local utility grid as an independent power production source. The data acquisition system provides both array and inverter performance data. Information on three additional planned small systems for validating emerging PV technologies is also briefly described.