A tool to widen the possibilities of PV pumping simulation.

This paper presents a software tool that allows simulation of PV pumping systems with sun trackers and, also, consideration of the effect of the level of dirt on the PV generator surface. This effect is important in dry climates such as the ones where this kind of systems is usually installed. The simulation tool has been validated with the experimental data obtained in a testing bench. Finally, the paper analyses the influence of the temporary scale in the simulation results, showing that the 12 values of monthly means of daily global irradiation lead to enough precisions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]