Outdoor performance modeling of three different silicon photovoltaic module technologies

The accuracy of a two-diode model for three different photovoltaic module technologies, namely monocrystalline, amorphous and micromorphous silicon, has been investigated in this paper. The I–V and the P–V characteristics for each type of module were simulated using the specifications given by the module’s manufacturer in their datasheet at standard tests conditions. An accurate technique was used for calculating the corresponding irradiation absorbed by each module type. To validate the model, a comparison between the simulation results and the experimental data obtained for each PV module type tested in outdoor conditions for a sunny and a cloudy day has been carried out. A good agreement was found between the calculated and measured data, both for the I–V and the P–V curves and the characteristic points ( I sc , V oc , I mpp , V mpp ) under simultaneous variation of temperature and irradiation.