Title:	Electrical and Thermal Characterisation of PV Modules Under Partial Shadowing
Author(s):	N. Martín-Chivelet, M.C. Alonso-García, F. Chenlo, P. Sánchez-Friera
Keywords:	Building Integration, Shading, PV Design
Topic:	Components for PV Systems
Subtopic:	PV Modules
Event:	23rd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition, 1-5 September 2008, Valencia, Spain
Session:	4AV.3.71
Pages:	2986 - 2988
ISBN:	3-936338-24-8
Paper DOI:	10.4229/23rdEUPVSEC2008-4AV.3.71
Price:	0,00 EUR
Document(s):	paper

Abstract/Summary:

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This paper analyses the electrical and thermal effects that partial shadowing commonly causes in PV modules. After typifying different possible shading configurations we have reproduced them in the laboratory and outdoors and have measured the IV characteristic curve at those different operation conditions. Also outdoors we have taken IR thermographies from the back side of the PV modules in order to evaluate the thermal effects with partial shading. The shadowing pattern and the PV module configuration are determinant of the electrical and thermal effects, although also the irradiance level, the clearness index and the ambience temperature have to be considered. Especially harmful is a shadow over part of all the sub-strings associated to different bypass diodes. In general if a PV module is constituted by series connected PV cells a good design for building integration would be a nearly squared module with a bypass diode every two adjacent columns (around 18 PV cells).