Here you will learn how to calculate the annual energy output of a photovoltaic solar installation. r is the yield of the solar panel given by the ratio : electrical power (in kWp) of one solar panel divided by the area of one panel. Example : the solar panel yield of a PV module of 250 Wp with an area of 1.6 m2 is 15.6%.
Determine the solar panel capacity by dividing the daily energy production requirement by the average daily sunlight hours. Account for panel derating to factor in efficiency losses. Divide the actual solar panel capacity by the capacity of a single panel to determine the number of panels needed.
You have learnt previously that the power output of a photovoltaic solar cell is given in watts and is equal to the product of voltage times the current (V x I). The optimum operating voltage of a PV cell under load is about 0.46 volts at the normal operating temperatures, generating a current in full sunlight of about 3 amperes.
The solar cell efficiency is given under STC and the input power (PIN) is taken as 1000 W/m2. Thus, by using the formula given below we can determine the output power generated for different efficiencies. PM = (PIN × Area) × ƞ
A solar cell is a semiconductor device that can convert solar radiation into electricity. Its ability to convert sunlight into electricity without an intermediate conversion makes it unique to harness the available solar energy into useful electricity. That is why they are called Solar Photovoltaic cells. Fig. 1 shows a typical solar cell.
Most photovoltaic solar cells produce a “no load” open circuit voltage of about 0.5 to 0.6 volts when there is no external circuit connected. This output voltage (VOUT) depends very much on the load current (I) demands of the PV cell.
A solar cell efficiency is defined as the maximum output power (P M) divided by the input power (P IN). It is measured in percentage (%), which indicates that this percentage of input sunlight power is converted to electrical power. The input …