Performance of different photovoltaic cells operating under the meteorological conditions of Singapore

Hawlader, Mohammad Nurul Alam and Seng, Lee Poh and Kiang, Chua Kok (2011) Performance of different photovoltaic cells operating under the meteorological conditions of Singapore. In: 4th IMAT 2011:International Meeting of Advances in Thermofluids, 3-4 October 2011, Melaka, Malaysia. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Three different types of photovoltaic solar cells were installed and connected in grid-tie inverters to run a blower or pump under the meteorological conditions of Singapore. Experiments were performed over a period of time, where all three types of cells, each type having a rated power of 360W, were exposed to same environmental conditions. For a day with a maximum irradiation of about 760Wm-2, analyses of data to determine the performance of solar cells revealed an average efficiency of mono crystalline, poly crystalline and tandem cells of about 10.4%, 9.5% and 8.8%, respectively. The maximum efficiencies recorded were 14.5% for mono-crystalline, 13.5% for polycrystalline and 11% for tandem cells. Although tandem cell has the lowest average efficiency, it shows the highest Solar Fraction (SF) compared to mono and poly crystalline cells. The electricity production of mono crystalline, poly crystalline and tandem cell for 30 consecutive days shows that tandem cell has the highest production with an average value of 1.7KWh. The total production of mono and poly crystalline cell is approximately the same. Both of them have the average daily value of about 1.5KWh. On a day, with irradiation of about 760Wm-2 and without any cooling, the surface temperature of mono-crystalline, poly-crystalline and tandem cell were 59°C, 58.4°C and 57.7°C, respectively. On the other hand, the surface temperature has only reached 35.5°C, 35.1°C, 33.6°C, respectively, when the first data was recorded in the early morning, when the irradiation was about 450Wm-2. As the efficiency of the cell is dependent upon operating temperature, appropriate measures should be undertaken to maintain low operating temperature, particularly, when the irradiation is high.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item (Full Paper)
Additional Information:	6548/8899
Uncontrolled Keywords:	PV performance; mono-crystalline, poly-crystalline, tandem cells; power generation; conversion efficiency; solar fraction
Subjects:	T Technology > TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery > TJ807 Renewable energy sources
Kulliyyahs/Centres/Divisions/Institutes (Can select more than one option. Press CONTROL button):	Kulliyyah of Engineering Kulliyyah of Engineering > Department of Mechanical Engineering
Depositing User:	Prof Mohammad Nurul Alam / M N A Hawlader
Date Deposited:	05 Jan 2012 09:17
Last Modified:	05 Jan 2012 09:17
URI:	http://irep.iium.edu.my/id/eprint/8899

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