Comparing Models for Energy Rating Prediction for Diverse Photovoltaic Technologies

23rd European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition, 1-5 September 2008, Valencia, Spain; 2929-2931
This paper compares three methods to predict the performance of several photovoltaic (PV) module technologies. The first two execute a least-squares fitting, but they are based on different approaches, while the third one is based on a biharmonic spline interpolation. The methods fit to a set of experimental data (either indoor or outdoor) and then estimate the maximum power (Pm) output at any given conditions of in-plane irradiance (G) and module temperature (Tm). The reduction of the set of data, while still obtaining reasonable results, has also been examined. In general terms, we conclude that the first method, an analytical approach, provides the best accuracy in terms of power prediction. Moreover, it is the least computationally demanding of the three.