Image: TÜV Rheinland ©

Climatic Zone Related Thermal

Losses in Photovoltaic Modules

www.tuv.com/solar
Contents
03 Introduction
04 Why is a temperature variation important?
04 Set up of the measurement sites
04 Ambient and module temperature variation in the
different climatic zones
05 Temperature influence on energy generation and loss
05 Long-term stability
06 Conclusion
 3

Introduction
In order to get the best possible output and, therefore, best
return on investment on a yearly and lifetime basis from a
photovoltaic module it is necessary to analyze a variety of
influencing factors. These are not only related to fundamen-
tal material questions but are also related to more practical
aspects, such as the working environment in which the
module is mounted i.e. the local temperature, wind move-
ment, particulate content of the air, humidity etc. Due to
the influence of these factors module performance under
real conditions and usage can vary significantly between
location and from laboratory tests.

As a response to this we have set up five identical measur-

ing sites around the world, which encompasses a spread
of possible climatic conditions. By employing a variety of
test module types and measurement equipment they have
been able to better understand the module response to
the prevailing environmental conditions. More specifically,
variations in the module temperature and their influence on
key performance parameters were measured and analyzed
in detail.
 4

W H Y I S A T E M P E R AT U R E VA R I AT I O N I M P O R TA N T ?
As with most materials those used in photovoltaic modules are sensitive to
temperature, where on the whole their properties at elevated temperatures are
less favorable for the fundamental processes involved in power generation. In the
semiconducting light absorbing material on which the module is based electrons
are excited by means of light absorption into a state in which they can do useful
work i.e. they can flow in an external circuit and power lights, computers etc.
However, not all the light is converted into power and some of the power that
is converted is lost within the material or connecting wires due to the dominant
so called resistive losses. Such losses are seen in everyday life in the unwanted
heat output of computers, incandescent light bulbs, electric heaters etc. For
photovoltaics, these losses cannot be circumvented, moreover, they worsen
as the temperature rises. The extent of this deterioration is dependent on the
actual material used i.e. whether for example c-Si, a-Si, CIGS, or CdTe. As a
consequence, it is necessary to characterize this effect in order to understand its’
influence on the performance of the modules.

There may also be, in addition, long-term degradation of the module due to a
higher operating temperature, especially if it is raised over a significant length of
time.

SET UP OF THE MEASUREMENT SITES

A number of years ago we have set up identical measurement sites in five
locations with different climatic conditions across the globe. These sites are
located at:
Cologne (Germany), Tempe (USA), Ancona (Italy), Thuwal (Saudi-Arabia) and
Chennai (India).

They represent temperate, hot desert, Mediterranean, hot desert with sandstorm
impact, and tropical savanna with hot-humid/dry climatic conditions, respectively.

At each site 15 different commercially available modules from various

manufacturers were tested, where 4 were based on c-Si, 3 on a-Si, 4 on CIGS
and 3 on CdTe. The modules were mounted south facing on a metal frame well
separated from the floor/ground with an inclination angle chosen to achieve the
best local performance. Additional measurements were made using calibrated
equipment of the air temperature, module temperature, amount of light irradiation
(in kWh/m2), rainfall and wind speed. For the site in Thuwal a periodical cleaning of
the modules was necessary due to the impact of sandstorms.

Data was recorded at the sites when the irradiance was higher than 15W/m2.
Currently measurement data is available for 2-3 years.

A M B I E N T A N D M O D U L E T E M P E R AT U R E VA R I AT I O N I N T H E D I F F E R E N T
C L I M AT I C Z O N E S
The ambient temperature for these northern hemisphere sites followed a yearly
cycle whereby the coolest average temperatures were measured in Dec/Jan and
the peak average temperatures in Jun/Jul/Aug. In Cologne, the lowest yearly
average temperature of 15.2°C was measured, whereas the highest was in Thuwal
at 31.1°C. The largest temperature variation over a year between the coldest
and hottest days was observed in Tempe at 45.3°C, whereas the smallest was
measured in Chennai at 25.7°C. A peak temperature of 44.8°C was measured in
Tempe and the lowest temperature of -4.6°C was recorded in Cologne.
 5

The module temperatures T BoM showed the same yearly variation, with the highest
average temperatures measured around the middle of the year. However, for each
site the average monthly temperature of the module was higher than the average
monthly ambient temperature. The yearly average ranged from 21.5°C in Cologne
to 41.8°C in Thuwal, an increase on the ambient of 6-10°C. For all sites a highest
temperature above 59°C was measured, with a record high of 69.8°C in Chennai.
The lowest temperature of -7.5°C was observed in Cologne, which was below the
coldest recorded ambient temperature. Modules in Tempe operated over the largest
temperature range of 73.5°C and those in Chennai over the lowest at 55.7°C.

Irradiation weighted average module temperature T BOM,G differences between the

different module types were measured to vary between 3.4°C and 5°C in Chennai
and Tempe, respectively. Additional differences were observed between the
various manufacturers.

With the measurement of the wind speed it was noted that the highest module
temperatures could be linked in some cases to the lowest wind speeds i.e. when
the cooling effects due to wind movement are weak. Additionally, the peak module
temperature was linked to high values of light irradiation, low load, and high
surrounding temperatures.

T E M P E R AT U R E I N F L U E N C E O N E N E R G Y G E N E R AT I O N A N D L O S S
The performances of the modules are characterized by the parameters ISC (short
circuit current), VOC (open circuit voltage), PMAX (Maximum power output) and the
combined parameter FF (filling factor), as well as by their temperature dependence.
In addition, the loss measure ΔMPRTEMP (temperature related losses – performance
of module at elevated temperature compared to its performance at 25°C) can be
defined.

In the laboratory, the temperature and irradiance dependent performance of a

module is characterized using the IEC 61853-1 standard. This gives a performance
map for the module, but it is far inferior to knowing the performance for the real
exposure levels and temperatures of the modules. This valuable information is
provided by the site measurements made by us and forms the basis for a better
understanding of module performance under real-life conditions.

In general, the temperature coefficient for ISC was slightly positive, but for VOC and
PMAX it was significantly negative i.e. there was a reduction in the power output
with increasing temperature (when weighted for irradiance). The smallest PMAX
coefficients were obtained for all the CdTe modules and one of the a-Si modules.
As a result fluctuations in the module temperature have a smaller influence on their
performance.
ΔMPRTEMP was measured to be the smallest in Cologne (-1.2 to -3.7%) and the
largest in Tempe (-5.1 to -10.6%). In general, these losses were larger in the
locations which experienced higher average yearly temperatures. At each site the
CdTe based modules showed the lowest losses.

L O N G -T E R M S TA B I L I T Y
Over the measurement time of 2 years it was possible to observe good
performance stability of the most modules in Cologne and Ancona, after an initial
small change in PMAX during the module’s early life. On the other hand, some
modules in Tempe and Chennai showed significant drops in PMAX over this time (or
after an initial small change), where this dropped by 4 to 6%. It can be therefore
summarized, that the elevated temperatures of these sites negatively influence the
long-term module performance.
 6

Conclusion
High module temperatures of nearly 70°C were measured,
where an even higher temperature could be expected if
there was a more restricted airflow around the module.
The temperature response of the modules and loses varied
significantly between the module types and manufacturers.
Module temperature was found to be the largest weather
related influence factor on the energy output – where loss-
es as large as 10% in the output have been observed. As a
consequence, there is significant optimization potential with
regard to this. Elevated temperatures were found to both
positively and negatively influence the long-term, meta and
starting stability of the modules.

The actual performance information obtained in these on-

site measurements provides a far superior understanding
of the real output of photovoltaic modules under operating
conditions compared to any tests based solely on norma-
tive laboratory measurements. Most importantly these
measurements undertaken by our company allows them
to provide performance information more closely related to
the expected output of modules running in real-life environ-
ments and, in addition, a quality control for the modules.
The newly introduced TÜV Rheinland Energy Rating Label
considers the many influencing factors on the energy
output of a module. This provides the potential user with a
clear indicator of expected module performance and in-turn
related return on investment.
 Germany
51105 Cologne
Am Grauen Stein
TÜV Rheinland AG

www.tuv.com/solar
® TÜV, TUEV and TUV are registered trademarks. Utilisation and application requires prior approval.