COMPLETEREPORT.pdf

See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/280573269
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AFFECTING THE PERFORMANCE OF SOLAR
PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE
Thesis · June 2014
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.2980.0800
CITATIONS
3
READS
2,503
2 authors, including:
Kaushik Saikia
Central University of Jharkhand
4 PUBLICATIONS 4 CITATIONS
SEE PROFILE
All content following this page was uploaded by Kaushik Saikia on 31 July 2015.
The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

A STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENTAL
FACTORS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SOLAR
PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE
JUNE –2014
REPORT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT
FOR THE SUMMER PROJECT OF
INTEGRATED MASTER OF TECHNOLOGY
IN
ENERGY ENGINEERING
IN THE CENTRE FOR ENERGY ENGINEERING
CENTRAL UNIVERSITY OF JHARKHAND
By
KAUSHIK SAIKIA
GAURAV MAHTO
CENTRE FOR ENERGY ENGINEERING
CENTRAL UNIVERSITY OF JHARKHAND
BRAMBE, RANCHI, INDIA

A STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENTAL
FACTORS ON THE PERFORMANCE OF SOLAR
PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE
JUNE –2014
REPORT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT
FOR THE SUMMER PROJECT OF
INTEGRATED MASTER OF TECHNOLOGY
IN
ENERGY ENGINEERING
IN THE SOLAR RADIATION RESOURCE ASSESSMENT
CENTRE FOR WIND ENERGY TECHNOLOGY, CHENNAI
By
KAUSHIK SAIKIA
GAURAV MAHTO
SOLAR RADIATION RESOURCE ASSESSMENT
CENTRE FOR WIND ENERGY TECHNOLOGY
MINISTRY OF NEW AND RENEWABLE ENERGY
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

CONTENT
TITLE PAGE NO.
Acknowledgement. i
Abstract. ii
List of Tables. iii
List of Figures. iv
1. Introduction. 1
1.1. Solar Radiation. 2
1.2. Importance of Solar Radiation. 3
1.3. Solar Radiation at the Earth’s Surface. 4
1.4. Definitions and Terminology. 6
1.5. Measurement of Solar Radiation. 9
1.6. Instruments for Measuring Solar Radiation and Sunshine. 10
2. Solar Radiation Resource Assessment. 13
3. Literature Review. 19
4. Our Project Work. 21
4.1. Objective. 21
4.2. Methodology. 21
5. Result and Discussions. 22
6. Conclusion. 38
7. Reference. 39

i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
We take this opportunity to express our profound gratitude and deep regard to our guide
Mr. PRASUN KUMAR DAS, Scientist B, Solar Radiation Resource Assessment for his exemplary
guidance, monitoring and constant encouragement throughout the course of this summer project. The
blessing, help and guidance given by him from time to time shall carry us a long way in the journey of
life on which we are about to embark.
We also take this opportunity to express a deep sense of gratitude to Mr. G. GIRIDHAR,
Scientist & Unit Chief, Solar Radiation Resource Assessment, for his cordial support, valuable
information and guidance, which helped us in completing this task through various stages.
We are also obliged to staff members of Solar Radiation Resource Assessment, for their
valuable information provided by them in their respective fields. We are grateful for their cooperation
during the period of our project.
Lastly, we thank the Almighty, Faculty members of our department, Our Parents and
Friends for their constant encouragement without which this project would not be possible.
KAUSHIK SAIKIA
GAURAV MAHTO
7th
Semester,
Energy Engineering,
Central University of Jharkhand

ii
ABSTRACT
Solar Photovoltaics are the fastest growing method of generating electrical power by
converting solar radiation into direct current electricity using semiconductors that exhibit the photovoltaic
effect. Solar photovoltaic power generation has long been seen as a clean sustainable energy technology
which draws upon the planets most plentiful and widely distributed renewable energy source- The Sun.
Presently, there are three technology mostly used for power generation viz. Mono-crystalline, Poly-
crystalline and Thin Film solar module.
In this report, we have studied about the effect of environmental factors on the performance of
solar PV panels for different climatic conditions for all the three module technology. For this we have
considered five SRRA stations situated at different weather conditions and compared the output
performance for these stations. The result obtained shows that when the temperature increases the energy
output also increases but when humidity increases, the energy output decreases. This is because low water
vapour in the atmosphere gives rise to high solar flux, which enhances high production of current. It is
also observed that among the three module technology, Thin Film has maximum output in all weather
conditions because it can perform better at low solar irradiance condition.

iii
LIST OF TABLES
LIST Page No.
Table 1: State wise list of SRRA Stations. 15
Table 2: Instrument installed at each SRRA Stations. 18
Table 3: Instrument installed at each AMS SRRA Stations. 19
Table 4: Information of Locations considered. 22

iv
LIST OF FIGURES
LIST PAGE NO.
Figure 1: Spectral Distribution of solar radiation. 4
Figure 2: World Solar Energy Map. 5
Figure 3: India Global Horizontal Solar Resource. 7
Figure 4: India Direct Normal Solar Resource. 8
Figure 5: Pyranometer. 10
Figure 6: Shaded Pyranometer. 10
Figure 7: Pryheliometer. 11
Figure 8: Solarimeter. 11
Figure 9: Sunshine Recorder. 12
Figure 10: A complete setup of Solar Radiation Measuring Instrument. 12
Figure 11: SRRA Stations in India. 15
Figure 12: Monthly Energy Output of Amarsagar. 23
Figure 13: Monthly Average Temperature of Amarsagar. 23
Figure 14: Monthly Average Humidity of Amarsagar. 24
Figure 15: Monthly Average Wind Speed of Amarsagar. 24
Figure 16: Monthly Energy Output of Bhogat. 25
Figure 17: Monthly Average Temperature of Bhogat. 25
Figure 18: Monthly Average Humidity of Bhogat. 26
Figure 19: Monthly Average Wind Speed of Bhogat. 26
Figure 20: Monthly Energy Output of Chennai. 27

v
Figure 21: Monthly Average Temperature of Chennai. 27
Figure 22: Monthly Average Humidity of Chennai. 28
Figure 23: Monthly Average Wind Speed of Chennai. 28
Figure 24: Monthly Energy Output of Pokhran. 29
Figure 25: Monthly Average Temperature of Pokhran. 29
Figure 26: Monthly Average Humidity of Pokhran. 30
Figure 27: Monthly Average Wind Speed of Pokhran. 30
Figure 28: Monthly Energy Output of Rajgarh. 31
Figure 29: Monthly Average Temperature of Rajgarh. 31
Figure 30: Monthly Average Humidity of Rajgarh. 32
Figure 31: Monthly Average Wind Speed of Rajgarh. 32
Figure 32: Monthly Energy Output of Mono-Silicon Modules at different Stations. 34
Figure 33: Monthly Energy Output of Poly-Silicon Modules at different Stations. 34
Figure 34: Monthly Energy Output of Thin Film modules at different Stations. 35
Figure 35: Annual Energy Output of Different Technology at Different Stations. 36
Figure 36: Annual Performance Ratio of Different Technology at Different Stations. 37

1
1. INTRODUCTION
Solar energy is the most abundant renewable energy resource on the planet. The solar energy that
reaches the Earth’s surface in less than one hour would be sufﬁcient to satisfy the energy requirements of
all human activities for more than one year. Energy was, is and will remain the basic foundation which
determines the stability of the economic development of any nation. Fossil fuel reserves, which provided
the most part of the energy source for the world, are limited and generally decreasing consequently.
Researchers have developed more efficient way of producing energy from alternative sources. The
environmental degradation occasioned by emissions currently generated by the use of fossil fuels are the
sources of serious environmental problem, such as acid rain, greenhouse effect and ozone layer depletion,
which in many cases are irreversible.
The increasing use and promotion of renewable energy technologies such as biomass, wind,
hydroelectricity solar thermal and solar electricity, seem to be a viable solution to environmental problem
caused by other energy sources. The energy received from the sun on the earth’s surface in one hour
equals to the amount of approximately one year energy needs of the earth. Sun acts like a black body
radiator with the surface temperature of 5800 K which leads to a 1367 W/m2
energy density over the
atmosphere [1].
Photovoltaic (PV) refers to the generation of electric power through the use of Photovoltaic or
solar cells to convert the photons of sunlight directly into electric current. The modern form of the solar
cell was invented in 1954 at Bell Telephone Laboratories. Today, Photovoltaic modules in their terrestrial
applications provide power for homes, commercial buildings, and industrial plants. Solar Photovoltaic is a
key technology option to realize the shift to a decarbonized energy supply and is projected to emerge as
an attractive alternate electricity source in the future. Globally, the solar Photovoltaic grid connected
capacity has increased from 7.6 GW in 2007 to 13.5 GW in 2008 and was 21 GW at the end of 2009.
Similarly, annual solar Photovoltaic production also jumped from 3.7 GW in 2007 to 10.7 GW in 2009.
The growth trend is continuing and is likely to explode once the grid parity is achieved [2]. With the
increasing use of solar panels particularly in hospitals for cooling vaccines, schools for cyber cafes and at
homes and offices, it is pertinent to know what effect active meteorological parameters such as
relative humidity, temperature, wind speed has in its efficiency.

2
The basic characteristics which govern Photovoltaic module electrical characteristics are mainly
maximum power, tolerance rated value (%), maximum power voltage, maximum power current,
open-circuit voltage (Voc), short-circuit current (Isc), & maximum system voltage. Determining the
performance of a Photovoltaic system not only depends on its basic characteristics but in the environment
that they are placed, this system will measure the effect of high ambient temperature, humidity, wind
velocity, on its working effectiveness.
The operating temperature plays a central role in the photovoltaic conversion process. Both the
electrical efficiency and the power output of a Photovoltaic module depend linearly on the operating
temperature, the various correlation proposed in the literature represent simplified working equations
which can be applied to Photovoltaic modules or Photovoltaic arrays mounted on free standing frames
Photovoltaic, thermal collectors and Photovoltaic arrays respectively.
1.1. SOLAR RADIATION
Solar radiation is a primary driver for many physical, chemical and biological processes on the
earth’s surface, and complete and accurate solar radiation data at a specific region are of considerable
significance for such research and application fields as architecture, industry, agriculture, environment,
hydrology, agrology, meteorology, limnology, oceanography and ecology. Besides, solar radiation data
are a fundamental input for solar energy applications such as photovoltaic systems for electricity
generation, solar collectors for heating, solar air conditioning climate control in buildings and passive
solar devices.
Several empirical formulae have been developed to calculate the solar radiation using various
parameters. Some works used the sunshine duration only; others used the sunshine duration, relative
humidity and temperature, while others used the number of rainy days, sunshine hours and a factor that
depends on latitude and altitude.
The primary requirement for the design of any solar power project is accurate solar radiation data.
It is essential to know the method used for measuring data for accurate design. Data may be
instantaneously measured (irradiance) or integrated over a period of time (irradiation) usually one hour or

3
day. Data may be for beam, diffuse or total radiation, and for a horizontal or inclined surface. It is also
important to know the types of measuring instruments used for these measurements.
For the purpose of this report, data sources of SRRA for various locations were compared. All
these sources specify global irradiance, measured over one hour periods and averaged over the entire
month. Monthly average daily solar radiation on a horizontal surface is represented as H, and hourly total
radiation on a horizontal surface is represented by I. The solar spectrum, or the range of wavelengths
received from the Sun are depicted in the figure below. Short wave radiation is received from the Sun, in
the range of 0.3 to 3 μm, and long wave radiation (greater than 3 μm) is emitted by the atmosphere,
collectors or any other body at ordinary temperatures.
1.2. IMPORTANCE OF SOLAR RADIATION
Solar Radiation varies throughout the day due to the presence of clouds. Further, solar radiation
varies from morning to evening, with season, latitude, longitude and altitude of the location. Climatic and
atmospheric conditions influence the short wave flux reaching the earth surface. Aerosol, dust and water
vapour have particular impact in the attenuation process. Hence it becomes necessary to have the
knowledge of solar resource in adequate details quite accurately for making design of solar power plant,
for achieving higher efficiency solar photovoltaic panels and increased power generation.
For a continuous spatial coverage of wide region, satellite based irradiation estimates are generally
used which provides moderate to good accuracy. However the best quality data is provided by ground
based measurements which are also used for validating or benchmarking and improving the satellite
derived data. Thus establishment of solar resource assessment infrastructure in India would be of great
importance, with assured 300 days of sunshine in most of India.

4
Figure 1: Spectral Distribution of Solar Radiation
1.3. SOLAR RADIATION AT THE EARTH’S SURFACE
Solar radiation is received at the earth’s surface in an attenuated form because it is subjected to
the mechanisms of absorption and scattering as it passes through the earth’s atmosphere. Absorption
occurs primarily because of the presence of ozone and water vapour in the atmosphere, and to lesser
extent due to other gases (like CO2, NO2, CO, O2, and CH4) and particulate matter. It results in an increase
in the internal energy of the atmosphere. On the other hand, scattering occurs due to all gaseous
molecules as well as particulate matter in the atmosphere. The scattered radiation is redistributed in all
directions, some going back into space and some reaching the earth’s surface.
The atmosphere at any location on the earth’s surface is often classified into two broad types- an
atmosphere without clouds and an atmosphere with clouds. In the former case, the sky is cloudless
everywhere, while in the latter, the sky is partly or fully covered by clouds. The mechanisms of
absorption and scattering are similar with both types of atmosphere. However it is obvious that less
attenuation takes place in a cloudless sky. Consequently maximum radiation is received on the earth’s
surface under the conditions of a cloudless sky.
In general, the intensity of diffuse radiation coming from various directions in the sky is not
uniform. The diffuse radiation is therefore said to be anisotropic in nature. However in many situations,
the intensity from all directions tends to be reasonably uniform. It is then modelled as being perfectly
uniform and is said to be isotropic in
nature.
A term called the Air Mass (AM)
is often used as a measure of the distance
travelled by beam radiation through the
atmosphere before it reaches a location on
the earth’s surface. It is defined as the
ratio of the mass of the atmosphere
through which the beam radiation passes
to the mass it would pass through if the
sun is directly overhead (i.e. at its zenith).
The zenith angle (θz) is the angle made by
4
nature.
4
nature.

5
the sun’s rays with the normal to a horizontal surface. It can be shown approximately that for locations at
sea level and zenith angles from 0o
to 70o
, the air mass is equal to the secant of the zenith angle. Thus air
mass zero (AM0) corresponds to extraterrestrial radiation, air mass one (AM1) corresponds to the case of
the sun at its zenith, and air mass two (AM2) corresponds to the case of a zenith angle of 60o
.
Extensive studies have been made on the mechanisms of absorption and scattering, and on the
determination of attenuation coefficients for various substances. Nevertheless, it is in general not possible
to predict, to a reasonable degree of accuracy, the variation with time of the beam and diffuse radiation
which might be expected at a specified location on the earth’s surface.
Figure 2: World Solar Energy Map

6
1.4. DEFINITIONS & TERMINOLOGY
1. Beam Radiation: - It is the Solar Radiation received from the Sun without being scattered by the
atmosphere and propagating along the line joining the receiving surface and the sun. It is also referred as
Direct Radiation. It is measured by a pyrheliometer.
2. Diffuse Radiation: - It is the solar radiation received from the Sun after its direction has been changed
due to scattering by the atmosphere. It does not have a unique direction and also does not follow the
fundamental principles of optics. It is measured by shading pyranometer.
3. Total Solar Radiation: -It is the sum of beam and diffused radiation on a surface. The most common
measurements of solar radiation are total radiation on a horizontal surface often referred to as ‘Global
Radiation’ on the surface. It is measured by pyranometer.
4. Irradiance (W/m2
): - It is the rate at which incident energy is incident on a surface of unit area. The
symbol G is used to denote irradiation.
5. Irradiation (J/m2
): - It is the incident energy per unit area on a surface, found by integration of
irradiation over a specified time, usually an hour (I) or a day (H).
6. Solar Constant: - The solar constant is the amount of incoming solar radiation per unit area, measured
at the outer surface of Earth’s atmosphere, in a plane perpendicular to the rays.

7
Figure 3: India Global Horizontal Solar Resource
7
7

8
Figure 4: India Direct Normal Solar Resource

9
1.5. MEASUREMENT OF SOLAR RADIATION
Measurements may be direct or indirect. Direct methods are those involving the use of
devices such as pyrheliometers and pyranometers at radiation stations. Indirect methods use satellite data,
the number of sunshine hours, or extrapolation to arrive at values for radiation at a place. The solar
radiation data should be measured continuously and accurately over the long term. Unfortunately, in
most areas of the world, solar radiation measurements are not easily available due to financial, technical
or institutional limitations.
Solar radiation is measured using pyrheliometers and pyranometers. Angstrom and
Thermoelectric Pyrheliometers are used for measurement for direct solar radiation and global solar
radiation is measured using the Thermoelectric Pyranometer. A Thermoelectric Pyranometer with a
shading ring is used for measurement of diffuse radiation. Inverted pyranometers and Sun photometers
are used for measuring reflected solar irradiance and solar spectral irradiance and turbidity respectively.
In India, large scale measurements are carried out by the India Meteorological Department
at 45 radiation observatories with data loggers at four of these stations. The stations are depicted on the
map below obtained from the IMD Pune website.
Another method of acquiring data is through mathematical modeling and extrapolation of
data using variables such as sunshine hours, cloud cover and humidity. This modeled data generally is not
very accurate for several reasons. Models require complex calibration procedures, detailed knowledge of
atmospheric conditions and adjustments to produce reasonable results. Further inaccuracies arise in
micro-climates and areas near mountains, large bodies of water, or snow cover.
The third source of radiation data is satellite measured data such as that provided by NASA.
NASA data is available for any location on Earth, and can be obtained by specifying the coordinates of
the location. The data is available in near real time for daily averages and for 3 hour intervals. Also, this
data can be accessed free of cost online.

10
1.6. INSTRUMENTS FOR MEASURING SOLAR RADIATION & SUNSHINE
Solar radiation flux is usually measured with the help of a pyranometer or a pyrheliometer.
1. Pyranometer: - A pyranometer is an instrument used to measure broadband solar irradiance on a
planar surface and is a sensor that is designed to measure the solar radiation flux density (W/m2
) from a
field of view of 180o
.
2. Shaded Pyranometer: - A shaded pyranometer is a pyranometer with a shaded ring across it to
measure the diffuse radiation of the sun.
Figure 5: Pyranometer
Figure 6: Shaded Pyranometer

11
3. Pryheliometer: - A pryheliometer is an instrument which measures the direct beam solar irradiance
falling on a surface normal to the sun’s rays.
4. Solarimeter: - A solarimeter is a pyranometer, a type of measuring device used to measure combined
direct and diffuse solar radiation. An integrating solarimeter measures energy developed from solar
radiation based on the absorption of heat by a black body.
Figure 7: Pryheliometer
Figure 8: Solarimeter

12
Figure 9: Sunshine Recorder
5. Sunshine Recorder: - A sunshine recorder is
a device that records the amount of sunshine at a
given location. The result provides information
about the weather and climate of a geographical
area. This information is useful in meteorology,
science, agriculture, tourism and other fields. It
is also called as Heliograph.
The sun’s rays are focused by a glass
sphere to a point on a card strip held in a groove
in a spherical bowl mounted concentrically with
the sphere. Whenever there is bright sunshine,
the image formed is intense enough to burn a
spot on the card strip. Through the day as the
sun moves across the sky, the image moves along the strip. Thus, a burnt trace whose length is
proportional to the duration of sunshine is obtained on the strip.
Figure 10: A Complete Setup of Solar Radiation Measuring Instruments
12
12

13
2. SOLAR RADIATION RESOURCE ASSESSMENT
To meet the specific challenges in the implementation of Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission
(JNNSM), with regard to the availability of ground measured solar radiation data, Ministry of New and
Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India has launched a nation-wide network of Solar
Radiation Resource Assessment (SRRA) stations in two phases. This project is being implemented by
Centre for Wind Energy Technology (C-WET), Chennai, an autonomous Research & Development
institution under the Ministry, because of its rich experience in Wind Resource Assessment and
Development of Wind Atlas for the nation. To implement this project, C-WET, Chennai has started
SRRA Unit and first 51 SRRA stations have been commissioned and data from all the stations is being
received at the Central Server established at C-WET, Chennai. In the second phase, 60 SRRA stations and
4 Advanced Measurement Stations (AMS) have been sanctioned in March 2013. Besides, C-WET also
has taken up on consultancy mode, installation of 4 more SRRA stations for Maharashtra Energy
Development Agency (MDEA), Government of Maharashtra. All 119 SRRA stations (51 in phase-I, 60 in
phase-II, 4 AMS and 4 MEDA SRRA stations) are located to uniformly cover country for proper
assessment of solar resources. The state-wise installation details are shown in the Table 1.
The SRRA stations are established for the collections and analysis of solar and meteorological data,
crucial for planning and implementation of solar power plants and other solar devices. The project
envisages assessment and quantification of solar radiation availability, quality of data assessment,
processing, modeling and finally making of solar atlas of the country. Every second, measured and
derived data on 37 parameters (both solar and meteorological) are collected from each SRRA stations and
transmitted to a Central Server at C-WET, Chennai. Four AMS will be set up for quantifications of
attenuation of solar radiation due to aerosols. These stations also measure albedo, incoming long wave
radiation and atmospheric visibility for research and developmental activities.

14
Table-1: State wise List of SRRA stations
STATE
NO. OF STATIONS
TOTAL
Phase-I Phase-II
Advanced
Stations
Andaman & Nicobar
Island
- 1 - 1
Andhra Pradesh 6 3 - 9
Arunachal Pradesh - 2 - 2
Assam - 2 - 2
Bihar - 3 - 3
Chandigarh - 1 - 1
Chhattisgarh 1 1 - 2
Dadra & Nager Haveli - 1 - 1
Daman & Diu - 1 - 1
Gujarat 11 2 - 13
Haryana 1 1 1 3
Himachal Pradesh - 2 - 2
Jammu & Kashmir 1 1 - 2
Jharkhand - 2 - 2
Karnataka 5 1 - 6
Kerala - 2 - 2
Lakshadweep Island - 1 - 1
Madhya Pradesh 3 5 - 8
Maharashtra 3 6+4*
- 13
Manipur - 1 - 1
Meghalaya - 1 - 1
Mizoram - 1 1 1
Nagaland - 1 - 1
Odisha - 4 - 4
Puducherry 1 - - 1
Punjab - 2 - 2
Rajasthan 12 - 1 13
Sikkim - 1 - 1
Tamil Nadu 7 - 1 8
Tripura - 1 - 1
Uttarakhand - 2 - 2
Uttar Pradesh - 5 - 5
West Bengal - 3 1 4
TOTAL 51 60+4*
4 119

15
Figure-11: SRRA Stations in India

16
Description of SRRA Stations
A typical SRRA station consists of two towers of 1.5 m and 6 m tall each. The 1.5 m tall
tower houses a solar tracker equipped with pyranometer, pyranometer with shading disc and
pryheliometer to measure global, diffuse and direct radiation respectively. The 6 m tall tower houses
instruments measuring ambient temperature, relative humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind speed &
direction, rain gauge and the data acquisition system. All the sensors are traceable to the World
Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the World Radiometric Reference (WRR) with high accuracy
to ensure the good quality of recorded data. Each SRRA station is totally powered by solar photovoltaic
panels and state-of-the-art data acquisition system recording 37 measured and derived parameters. A
trigger switch is also installed to track the cleaning status of the SRRA stations on a daily basis. A Central
Receiving Station (CRS) also has been established at C-WET for receiving the data from the SRRA field
stations, through GPRS.
Besides, data on pryheliometer error (%), solar elevation & azimuth angles (deg), battery
voltage and signals on sensors cleaning status are also received at the CRS, C-WET, Chennai. All the
parameters are measured every second and averaged to one minute and transmitted automatically to CRS
at C-WET, Chennai through GPRS mode. The Collection and display of data is done by the software
system specially designed, developed and implemented by the service provider. Data can be monitored in
CRS both in numerical and graphical format. The details of instrument installed at SRRA stations are
given in Table-II.
Advanced Measurement Stations (AMS)
To study the effect of suspended particulate matter (turbidity/aerosol concentration) in the
atmosphere viz. dust particles, water vapour and gases etc. on scattering or absorption of solar irradiance,
four AMS are proposed to be installed at SEC, Gurgaon- (North), BESU, Kolkata -(East), IIT Rajasthan,
Jodhpur- (West) and C-WET, Chennai -(South). Each AMS is to provide a host of continuous
information on aerosol column, atmospheric turbidity, column ozone, water vapour and NO2 in the
atmosphere. Each AMS measures the following parameters on the Reflectivity of the earth's surface
(albedo), Incoming long wave radiation, Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) of the atmosphere. The details of
instruments used at each AMS are given in the Table III.

17
Table -2: Instrument installed at each SRRA Stations
S. No. Instrument Parameters
1. Pyranometer
(Global Solar Radiation)
A. Global Horizontal Irradiance (W/m2
) Instantaneous,
Integrated & Average.
B. Average Global Energy (kWh/m2
& MJ/m2
).
2.
Shaded Pyranometer
(Diffuse Solar Radiation)
A. Diffuse Horizontal Irradiance (W/m2
) Instantaneous,
Integrated & Average.
B. Average Diffused Energy (kWh/m2
& MJ/m2
)
3.
Pyrheliometer
(Direct Solar Radiation)
A. Direct Normal Irradiance (W/m2
) Instantaneous, Integrated
& Average.
B. Average Direct Energy (kWh/m2
& MJ/m2
).
4. Solar Tracker
Mounted with Pyranometers with & without shading disc and
Pyrheliometer
5. Ultrasonic Wind Sensor
Wind speed (m/s) and Wind Direction (Deg) – Standard
Deviation, Maximum, Minimum & Average.
6. Rain Gauge Rain Accumulation (mm)
7. Pressure Sensor Atmospheric Pressure – QFE & QNH (mb) /hpa
8. Temperature
Temperature (°C) and Dew Point – Average, Maximum &
Minimum.
9. Relative Humidity Percentage.
10. GPS To synchronize Sun Tracker with Sun movement.
11. Data logger & Modem For logging sensor data and transferring the same to CRS.
12. GPRS Antenna To transmit the data through mobile SIM cards to CRS.
13. Solar Photovoltaic Panel For charging battery for powering SRRA stations.
14. External Battery For storage of SPhotovoltaic power.
15. Cleaning trigger switch To track the cleaning status of the SRRA stations.

18
Table -3: Instrument installed at each AMS SRRA Stations
S No. Instrument Parameters
1.
Direct Beam Filter Spectrometer
(Sun Photometer)
Direct solar spectral irradiance at discrete wavelengths.
2. Albedometer Albedo of earth surface.
3. Pyrgeometer Incoming long wave radiation.
4. Scatterometer Measurement of atmospheric visibility.
5. Silicon Pyranometer Measurement of Global Solar Radiation.
6.
Data logger compatible with
Direct Beam Filter Spectrometer.
For collecting, averaging and transferring data to CRS.
7. GPRS Antenna For data communication between field station & CRS.
8. Energy Meter To measure the active energy of the solar panel.

19
3. LITERATURE REVIEW
An extensive amount of research on the effect of environmental factors on the solar
Photovoltaic panels has been carried out. N.C. Park et al. studied the effect of relative humidity on the
degradation rate of a Photovoltaic module for which they have conducted five types of accelerated tests to
derive a relation between effective relative humidity (rheff) and relative humidity of the back side (rhback)
of the Photovoltaic panel and found a linear relationship between them. Considering the temperature in a
Photovoltaic module to be uniform, they also concluded that degradation rate of Photovoltaic module is
accelerated by temperature and humidity [5].
E.B.Ettah et al. studied the effect of relative humidity on the performance of solar panels
and concluded that low relative humidity between 69% and 75% favours increase in output current from
solar panels. Also voltage output increases with decrease in relative humidity but stabilizes between
relative humidity values of 70% and 75%. Hence their result implies that efficiency of solar panels is high
during low relative humidity period, being an indication of high performance [2].
Omubo-Pepple V.B et al. reports the investigation of some metrological parameters on
the efficiency of photovoltaic module and their result obtained shows that the efficiency of solar panel is
directly proportional to the solar flux and output current. Also increase in solar flux results to increase in
output current of solar panel and thus enhance its efficiency. They also concluded that that the relative
humidity reduces the output current and increases efficiency of solar Photovoltaic panel [6].
J.M Olchowik et al. worked on the influence of temperature on the efficiency of
monocrystalline photovoltaic modules in a hybrid solar system and reported that the efficiency of a
silicon-monocrystalline Photovoltaic photo module depends on the sun insolation reaching its surface.
They also reported that cooling of solar cells during cloudy days as well as in the morning hours
decreases the efficiency of solar Photovoltaic panel. [7].
Swapnil Dubey et al. studied the effect of temperature dependence Photovoltaic
efficiency and concluded that both the electrical efficiency ant the power output of a Photovoltaic module
depend linearly on the operating temperature. They have given numerous correlations for Photovoltaic
cell temperature (Tc) which are applicable to freely mounted Photovoltaic array and to

20
Photovoltaic/thermal collectors. This correlation involves basic environmental variables, while the
numerical parameters are dependent on systems as well as materials of the panel [8].
S. Mekhilef et al. have conducted a detailed study on the impact of dust accumulation,
humidity level and air velocity and came to the conclusion that each of these three factors affect the other
two factors. Higher the air velocity, lower is the relative humidity of the atmospheric air in the
surroundings which in turn leads to better efficiency [1].
Based on the data available for temperature & wind velocity for a whole year from
2010-2011 for different seasons of Lucknow and considering the daily monthly average values of the
variables, Rahnuma Siddiqui et al. developed an equation to calculate the efficiency of solar photovoltaic
modules and found that the developed equation showed a very good correlation with measured results for
almost every day for whole year [3].
Y.K. Sanusi et al. studied about the effect of ambient temperature on the performance of
an amorphous silicon photovoltaic system in a tropical area and came to the conclusion that there is a
direct proportionality relation between the power output performance of the system and the ambient
temperature. Thus, the conversion of solar energy to electricity is favorable during high ambient
temperature period than low ambient temperature period [9].
Katkar A.A. et al. studied the effect of temperature & humidity on the performance of
solar cell and evaluated the solar cell efficiency for the different weather condition and concluded that the
characteristics of silicon solar cell with the different temperature & humidity levels varies the efficiency
of solar cell [4].
F. Touati et al. studied and investigated the sensitivity of various solar photovoltaic
technologies toward dust, temperature & relative humidity and the result obtained by them showed that
dust accumulation has great effect on decreasing the amorphous & mono-crystalline photovoltaic
efficiency than the panel’s temperature augmentation or relative humidity. They also concluded that the
amorphous photovoltaic module are more robust against dust settlement than monocrystalline
photovoltaic module and hence are more suitable for implementation in desert climates [10].

21
4. OUR PROJECT WORK
4.1. OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT
Alarmed by a sharp rise in power consumption in India, renewable energy alternatives are
considered to overcome the widening power deficit in the country. Therefore it important to investigate
the performance of solar panels using Monocrystalline-silicon module, Polycrystalline-silicon module &
Thin-Film module under different weather condition of India. In this report, we studied about the various
environmental factors affecting the performance of solar panels such as temperature, humidity, wind
velocity etc. and compare the annual output, monthly output & performance ratio for different location of
India.
4.2. METHODOLOGY
For this report, we have taken the information and data available for five different SRRA
stations located at different weather conditions of India. These data for solar radiation has been analyzed
for Mono-crystalline silicon module, Poly-crystalline silicon module & Thin Film module and
performances of solar panels for these modules under different environmental factors are studied.
Table-4: Information of Locations considered
STATION STATE LATITUDE LONGITUDE ELEVATION
Amarsagar Rajasthan 26.931o
N 70.871o
E 224 m
Bhogat Gujarat 21.992o
N 69.241o
E 14 m
Chennai Tamil Nadu 13.083o
N 80.270o
E 6 m
Pokhran Rajasthan 26.920o
N 71.920o
E 233 m
Rajgarh Madhya Pradesh 24.030o
N 76.880o
E 491 m

22
 Performance Ratio: - The performance ratio is a measure of the quality of a PV plant. It is stated as
percent and describes the relationship between the actual and theoretical energy outputs of the PV
plant. It thus shows the proportion of the energy that is actually available for export to the grid after
deduction of energy loss and energy consumption for operation.
The closer the PR value determined for a PV plant approaches 100%, the more efficiently the
respective PV plant is operating. In real, a value of 100% cannot be achieved, as unavoidable losses
always arise with the operation of the PV plant.
There are two basic parameters to calculate the performance ratio:-
P. R =
Final PV System Yield
Reference Yield
P. R =
Net Energy Output (KWh)
Installed PV Array (KW)
Total Plane Irradiance (
kWh
m
)
PV Irradiance at STC (
KW
m
)
5. RESULT & DISCUSSIONS
The results obtained for 5 different SRRA stations are plotted, studied for the 3
different module technologies viz. Mono-Silicon, Poly-Silicon and Thin Film and the graph obtained are
compared under various categories in order to obtain a clear result of the effect of environmental factors
on the performance of the solar panels.

23
A. Monthly Annual Output of different Stations using different Technologies.
 AMARSAGAR
Figure 12: Monthly Energy Output of Amarsagar.
Figure 13: Monthly Average Temperature of Amarsagar.
23
 AMARSAGAR
23
 AMARSAGAR

24
Figure 14: Monthly Average Humidity of Amarsagar.
Figure 15: Monthly Average Wind Speed of Amarsagar.
24
24

25
 BHOGAT
Figure 16: Monthly Energy Output of Bhogat.
Figure 17: Monthly Average Temperature of Bhogat.
25
 BHOGAT
25
 BHOGAT

26
Figure 18: Monthly Average Humidity of Bhogat.
Figure 19: Monthly Average Wind Speed of Bhogat.
26
26

27
 CHENNAI
Figure 20: Monthly Energy Output of Chennai.
Figure 21: Monthly Average Temperature of Chennai.
27
 CHENNAI
27
 CHENNAI

28
Figure 22: Monthly Average Humidity of Chennai.
Figure 23: Monthly Average Wind Speed of Chennai.
28
28

29
 POKHRAN
Figure 24: Monthly Energy Output of Pokhran.
Figure 25: Monthly Average Temperature of Pokhran.
29
 POKHRAN
29
 POKHRAN

30
Figure 26: Monthly Average Humidity of Pokhran.
Figure 27: Monthly Average Wind Speed of Pokhran.
30
30

31
 RAJGARH
Figure 28: Monthly Energy Output of Rajgarh.
Figure 29: Monthly Average Temperature of Rajgarh.
31
 RAJGARH
31
 RAJGARH

32
Figure 30: Monthly Average Humidity of Rajgarh.
Figure 31: Monthly Average Wind Speed of Rajgarh.
32
32

33
The graphs of monthly annual output using different technologies for different stations situated at
different climatic condition of India and the graphs of the environmental factors viz. temperature,
humidity and wind speed that we have considered for our project are plotted and studied.
These graphs show an increasing & decreasing pattern in the monthly energy output for different
period of a year at a particular station. It can be observe that maximum energy output from solar panel
can be obtained during the month March to May, but during the month of June to August the energy
output is minimum throughout the year and this pattern of energy output is common for all the stations
that we have considered. This is because the solar radiation is at their peak during the month of March to
May.
On comparing the graph of energy output with the graph plotted between the environmental
factors that we have considered, it is observed that when the temperature increases, the energy output of
the photovoltaic panels increases for all the solar module technologies. However when humidity increases,
the energy output of the photovoltaic modules decreases. This is because low water vapour in the
atmosphere gives rise to high solar flux, which enhances high production of current.
But there are some variations in the output performance of solar panels in some stations like
Chennai & Bhogat apart from the other stations which may be due to the other factors like and locations
at which the station is situated. But apart from these two stations, all the other two stations show the
similar energy output with respect to the environmental factors.

34
B. Monthly Energy Output of the Stations for a particular Technology.
 MONO-CRYSTALLINE SILICON SOLAR MODULE
Figure 32: Monthly Energy Output of Mono-Silicon Modules at different Stations.
 POLY-CRYSTALLINE SILICON SOLAR MODULE
Figure 33: Monthly Energy Output of Poly-Silicon Modules at different Stations.
34
34

35
 THIN FILM SOLAR MODULE
Figure 34: Monthly Energy Output of Thin Film modules at different Stations.
From the graph of the energy output of the stations for a particular technology, we can
observe that all the three technology have their maximum output during the month March to May. But
there are differences in the energy output in some stations for a particular month like Bhogat which has
minimum energy output in the month of January which is common for all the three technology which is
due to low solar irradiance during this month. Similar is the case for Bhogat, Chennai and Rajgarh in the
month of July. It is also observed that for all the stations, Thin Film solar module has better performance
because it can perform better at low solar irradiance condition.
35
35

36
C. Annual Energy Output of Technologies for different Stations.
Figure 35: Annual Energy Output of Different Technology at Different Stations.
From the graph it is seen that although Thin Film solar module has less efficiency as
compared to Mono-crystalline solar module and Poly-crystalline solar module but it has highest annual
energy output throughout the year for every stations. This is because high temperature has less impact on
solar panel performance than mono-silicon and poly-silicon module. Moreover Thin Film can perform
better at low solar irradiance condition. Mono-crystalline solar panels have the highest efficiency rates
since they are made out of the highest-grade silicon. The efficiency rates of monocrystalline solar panels
are typically 15-20%. Polycrystalline solar panels tend to have slightly lower heat tolerance than
monocrystalline solar panels. For this reason they perform slightly worse than monocrystalline solar
panels in high temperatures.
36
36

37
D. Annual Performance Ratio of different stations for different Technologies.
Figure 36: Annual Performance Ratio of Different Technology at Different Stations.
In order to determine the behavior of different photovoltaic module technology, annual
performance ratio for different stations has been examined in this study. It is seen that the performance
ratio of Thin Film is higher followed by Mono-Crystalline Silicon module and Poly-Crystalline Silicon
module. The maximum performance ratio of Thin Film is 0.89 whereas the performance ratio of Mono-
crystalline Silicon and Poly-crystalline Silicon Module is lies between 0.75-0.85 and 0.80-0.90
respectively.
37
respectively.
37
respectively.

38
6. CONCLUSION
Three different commercially available photovoltaic modules have been considered to study the
effect of the environmental factor on the performance of the solar photovoltaic panel under different
climatic condition. The result has shown that for all the weather condition, the energy output is maximum
in the month of March to May whereas the energy output is minimum in the month of June to August.
Thin Film module has higher monthly energy output than Mono-crystalline and Poly-crystalline Silicon
module due to its better performance at low irradiance condition, although having much lower efficiency
than Mono-crystalline and Poly-crystalline Solar Module.
The module efficiency of Mono-crystalline silicon was higher than the other two modules
technology under study. Among the five stations that were considered, Pokhran was observed to have the
maximum energy output throughout the year. Furthermore from fig. 12 to fig. 36, the result depicts that
the module energy output increases with increase in temperature and decreases with increases in humidity.
India has a favorable climate for the implementation of photovoltaic technology with long
sunshine hours and high insolation level. Due to the capability of better performance in low light
condition and having higher performance ratio, Thin Film module is found is found to be most suitable
and should be preferred for implementation in solar power plants at different climatic conditions of India.

39
7. REFERENCES
1) Mekhilef S, Saidur R, Kamalisarvestani M (2012), Effect of dust, humidity and air velocity on
efficiency of photovoltaic cells, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Vol.16, pp. 2920-2925.
2) Ettah E B, Udoimuk A B, Obiefuna J N, Opara F E (2012), The Effect of Relative Humidity on the
Efficiency of Solar Panels in Calabar, Nigeria, Universal Journal of Management and Social Sciences,
Vol. 2, No.3,pp. 8-11.
3) Siddique R, Bajpai U (2012), Deviation in the Performance of Solar Module under Climatic
Parameters as Ambient Temperature and Wind Velocity in Composite Climate, International Journal of
Renewable Energy Research, Vol. 2, No. 3, pp. 486-490.
4) Katkar A A, Shinde N N, Patil P S (2011), Performance and Evaluation of Industrial Solar Cells w.r.t
Temperature and Humidity, International Journal of Research in Mechanical Engineering and
Technology, Vol. 1, Issue 1, pp. 69-73.
5) Park N C, Oh W W, Kim D H (2013), Effect of Temperature and Humidity on the Degradation Rate of
Multicrystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Module, International Journal of Photoenergy, Vol.2013, Pages 9.
6) V.B Omubo-Pepple, I Tamunobereton-Ari, M A Brigga-Kamara (2013), Influence of Meteorological
Parameters on the Efficiency of Photovoltaic module in Some Cities in Niger Delta of Nigeria, Journal
of Asian Scientific Research, Vol.3, Issue 1, pp. 107-113.
7) Olchowik J M, Gulkowski S, Cieslak K J, Banas J, Jozwik J, Szymczuk D, Zabielski K, Mucha J,
Zdrojewska M, Adamczyk J, Tomaszewski R (2006), Influence of Temperature on the Efficiency of
Monocrystalline Silicone Solar Cells in the South-eastern Poland condition, Material science- Poland,
Vol.24, No 4.
8) Dubey S, Sarvaiya J N, Seshadri B (2013), Temperature Dependent Photovoltaic (PV) Efficiency and
its Effect on PV Production in the World – A Review, Energy Procedia, Vol 33, pp. 311-321.

40
9) Sanusi Y. K., Fajinmi G. R, Babatunde E B (2011), Effect of Ambient Temperature on the Performance
of a Photovoltaic Solar System in a Tropical Area, The Pacific Journal of Science and Technology,
Vol.12, No.2, pp. 176-180.
10) Touati F, Massoud A, Hamad J A, Saeed S A (2013), Effect of Environmental and Climatic
Conditions on PV Efficiency in Qatar, Renewable Energy and Power Quality Journal, ISSN 2172-038
X, No.11.
View publication stats
View publication stats

COMPLETEREPORT.pdf

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to COMPLETEREPORT.pdf

Similar to COMPLETEREPORT.pdf (20)

More from HaiderAddewany1

More from HaiderAddewany1 (10)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

COMPLETEREPORT.pdf