Outdoor and indoor measurements of the electrical characteristics of a mono-crystalline silicon solar module

To investigate the electrical characteristics of a mono-crystalline silicon solar module, the effects of ambient temperature (T-amb), module average temperature (T-mav), tilt angles, and global solar radiation on horizontal surfaces have been studied. The data have been taken from Solar Energy Laboratory, Faculty of Science, Tanta (latitude phi = 30 degrees 41' and longitude lambda= 30 degrees 71'), Egypt. The measurements for this study have been taken under two conditions, that is, outdoor and indoor. For outdoor measurements, in summer season, the best optimal tilt angle equals 15.68 degrees, which is equal to latitude angle (phi-15 degrees), while in winter season, it is 45.68 degrees, which is equal to (phi +15 degrees). The open-circuit voltage of the module (V-oc) and short-circuit current (I-sc) dependence on the incident solar irradiance are studied. Also, it has been found that the module with tilt angle 30 degrees and sun tracking has the best values regarding its electrical characteristics. V-oc decreases with an increase in the module temperature T-mav, while I-sc is not strongly temperature dependent. For indoor measurements, a home-made sun simulator HOC-5 has been constructed. The electrical parameters of the 50 W single crystalline-silicon solar module under sun simulator HOC-5 computed at different heights. The hourly solar radiation values It on inclined surfaces facing south have been calculated by developing a computer program. The calculations have been experimentally verified under different meteorological conditions and design parameters.