Modelling the Solar Cells Temperature and Power Output from PV Panels under Dusty Conditions

Abstract

Almost all available power and temperature models of PV panels can only predict the power output and the cell temperature under clean conditions. The objective of this research is to study the effect of dust accumulation on the solar cells temperature as well as to model the solar cells temperature and the power output from PV panels under dusty conditions. An experimental setup has been developed in this study, which consists of a PV panel that contains two thermocouples embedded inside the panel, in order to measure the cells' temperatures. The cells temperatures, solar irradiance received by the panel and the power output from the panel have been measured for 5 consecutive weeks in Cairo, Egypt. The actual solar irradiance received by the cells, i.e. Gcell, was calculated using the power model of PV panels. Afterwards, the cell temperature was calculated based on the cells temperature model and the actual solar irradiance received by the cells. It has been found that the difference between the measured and the calculated cell temperature was not more than 3.71% during the time of experiments. Therefore, it can be concluded that the influence of dust on the power output as well as the cell temperature can be calculated using the power model and the cell temperature model under clean conditions, but the solar irradiance in these models should be replaced by the actual solar irradiance received by the cells, i.e. Gcell.