Influence of the Operating Temperature and the Solar Irradiation in a Photovoltaic Panel: An Experimental Analysis

Abstract

The search for real solutions that meet the growing demand for energy in the global scenario has been the subject of studies around the world for the scientific community. Renewable sources and technologies are investigated for the replacement of fossil fuels, non-renewable and with high potential for environmental degradation energies. Renewable energy that highlights in the area of sustainability is solar energy, due to environmental, social and abundance aspects. Despite obtaining electricity directly from the solar incident in a photovoltaic system, approximately 80% to 90% of the incident energy is converted into heat. This heat results in an increase in the operating temperature of the photovoltaic panel cells, causing a 0.45% decrease in panel yield for each degree Celsius [°C] added from the standard test conditions: 25 °C, 1 kW/m2 and 1.5 kg of air. In the present paper, an experimental analysis of the influence of the operating temperature and the solar irradiation in the voltage generated by a photovoltaic panel was presented, in order to understand the importance of the control of the operating temperature of a photovoltaic panel. The results prove that the generated voltage is directly connected to the operating temperature of the photovoltaic panel. A rise in solar irradiation elevates the produced voltage. However, the increment of the operating temperature of the panel results in a gradual loss of voltage produced.