PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF A GRID-CONNECTED PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM BY COMPARING ITS THEORETICAL MODEL TO EXPERIMENTAL DATA

This work evaluates the instantaneous active power supplied by a grid-connected photovoltaic system by means of a comparison between the data acquired in the AC bus via a datalogger system developed by the inverter manufacturer, and the data obtained from a high-precision wattmeter. It also presents the measured energy and the active power estimates at the AC side using a theoretical model. The methodology employed in the analysis of solar irradiance and cell temperature parameters presented results which are consistent with the data available from a solar station in the vicinity of the installation, which are also used as input for the developed theoretical model. It is shown that the theoretical model of the system is in good agreement with the experimental data, making it suitable for application as a complementary tool to monitor operational performance of photovoltaic systems.