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The effect of shading on photovoltaic solar panels

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Abstract

A modelling description of photovoltaic (PV) modules in a PSPICE environment is presented. To validate the simulation model, a lab prototype is used to create similar conditions as those existing in real photovoltaic systems. The effects of partial shading of solar cell strings and temperature on the performance of various PV modules are analyzed. The simulation results show a very good agreement with those obtained experimentally in similar conditions, either in lab, at Lisbon University, and under outdoor testing in Sweden, using PV solar collectors manufactured by Solarus Sunpower AB. The potential of the simulation analysis is highlighted as a flexible and powerful tool for the design of new and more competitive PV module configurations for the collectors in solar panels.

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Notes

  1. Electronic circuits simulator, \({\underline{L}inear}\) \({\underline{T}echnology}\) \({\underline{S}imulation}\) \({\underline{P}rogram}\,{for}\) \({\underline{I}ntegrated}\) \({\underline{C}ircuits}\) \({\underline{E}mphasis.}\)

  2. Solarus Sunpower AB: http://solarus.com.

  3. https://www.google.pt/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=ZDSHV_njCoHY8gff1IH4CA&gws_rd=ssl#q=instituto+superior+tecnico.

  4. https://www.google.pt/?gfe_rd=cr&ei=ZDSHV_njCoHY8gff1IH4CA&gws_rd=ssl#q=Universidade+de+Lisboa.

  5. Standard cell has a size of 156 \(\times \) 156 mm, the cell is cut to 148 \(\times \) 156 mm to fit the receiver. The longer dimension is cut in to three equal solar cells called 1/3 solar cell (52 \(\times \) 148 mm).

  6. http://www.solar-electric.com/inverter-basics-selection.html.

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Acknowledgements

This work was support by FCT, under IT, Project No. UID/EEA/50008/2013.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto de Telecomunicações, Instituto Superior Técnico-Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal

    João Paulo N. Torres, Samuel K. Nashih & Carlos A. F. Fernandes

  2. University of Gävle, Gävle, Sweden

    João C. Leite

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  1. João Paulo N. Torres
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  2. Samuel K. Nashih
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  3. Carlos A. F. Fernandes
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  4. João C. Leite
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Correspondence to João Paulo N. Torres.

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Torres, J.P.N., Nashih, S.K., Fernandes, C.A.F. et al. The effect of shading on photovoltaic solar panels. Energy Syst 9, 195–208 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12667-016-0225-5

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