Design of Solar Cell Temperature-Based Single Parameter Model of PV Modules

Single parameter models are useful for assessing the impact of a particular parameter on a complex phenomenon, while holding other influencing factors at standardized constant values. Such models are essential for performance estimation and prediction of output with due parametric analysis. The output power and the efficiency of photovoltaic cells are primarily governed by cell temperature that ranges between 50°C to 75°C in different seasons in India. The increase in temperature causes the development of thermal stresses in the panel and affects its life span. This paper proposes a methodology for designing a single parameter model of a PV module with respect to cell temperature for estimating the loss of performance and accurate prediction of the power output. The proposed methodology has been validated for three different modules used by researchers. The model accuracy has been found to be better than 98% in all cases.