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The cost of manufacturing and electricity consumption are key considerations in encouraging the adoption of solar air heaters (SAH) in sunny and low‐income areas. These parameters can have a significant impact on promoting the use of these devices. In this study, solar air heating was designed with the objective of achieving the highest possible efficiency/cost ratio. It is a corrugated channel SAH whose structure is equipped with two barriers perforated with a sufficient number of holes for a good airflow distribution. A new model was developed to evaluate the qualitative parameters that describe the thermos‐energetic behavior of a heating system. These parameters were measured using experimental data obtained under real operating conditions. The thermal model assumes a uniform temperature for the glass, absorber, and insulation of the collector, while the temperature of the circulating air is assumed to vary linearly along the collector. To ensure that these assumptions were valid, the collector was cut into a number of 0.1 m sections in the direction of flow. By comparing the numerical results with the experimental data, the model was validated and then used to calculate the temperature profiles of the different elements of the collector, as well as to estimate the impact of certain operational parameters on its thermal performance. Relative percentage error values, between the numerical and the experimental results, of 1.7517%, 1.0750%, 0.8577%, 2.2371%, and 2.3637% for absorber plate temperature, outlet airflow temperature, useful power, thermal, and effective efficiencies, respectively, are recorded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The performance of photovoltaic (PV) modules is affected by the increase in their operating temperature. Accurate and reliable prediction of the PV module operating temperature (TM) is useful for evaluating their electrical performance and productivity and predicting the maximum power point under changing weather conditions. Based on experimental measurements collected during 1 year by a station placed in a semi-arid coastal region, in Morocco, several models are investigated to predict TM of polycrystalline PV modules. Starting from existing models in the literature, models have been developed to improve the accuracy of their prediction in the studied climate. The results show that irradiance (G) and ambient temperature are the most influential parameters for estimating the TM of the studied PV module. The accuracy of the prediction can be improved by introducing the effects of Vw and RH in the proposed models. In addition, using the physical parameter extraction results of the studied modules, equations are established to approximately predict their behavior as a function of TM and G. Taking into account the proposed TM models, these equations describing the physical parameter evolution can constitute an important basis for predicting PV module performance under real operating conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a study on photovoltaic module physical parameters behavior depending on irradiance G and module temperature TM is presented. From this investigation, new equations translating physical parameters behavior depending on TM and G are developed. The new proposed laws, which combine the effects of G and TM in a correlated manner, have the advantage of incorporating G effect on the temperature coefficients by including specific terms. The developed laws form a basis for predicting PV module performance and can be incorporated into maximum power point tracking (MPPT) programs to extract peak power output under different operating conditions. This study is conducted by examining the electrical performances at the maximum power (Im, Vm), the open circuit (0, VOC), and the short circuit (ISC, 0) points measured using an elaborate experimental platform. The photovoltaic module used is a monocrystalline type exposed to four G values of 700, 800, 880 and 1000 W.m-2 for temperatures TM between 16°C and 48°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]