Impact of not uniform distribution of irradiance photovoltaic cells

What is it about?

Modern concepts of sustainable cities and smart grids have led to an increase in the installation of solar systems in urban and suburban areas where, due to numerous obstacles or design constraints, photovoltaic (PV) modules can operate under operating conditions that are very different from the optimal ones (e.g. standard test conditions, STC). Shading and reflection are the main phenomena that lead to an uneven distribution of irradiance on the PV cells, which in turn results in an uneven distribution of the PV cell temperature. The latter problem can also be caused by different ventilation regimes in different parts of the PV generator. On the other hand, due to the need to use different solar technologies (solar thermal and photovoltaic), there may be problems related to the availability of a useful area. In this context, there is a technology that generates heat and electrical energy simultaneously, such a technology is called solar hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T). In this case, the non-uniform distribution of temperature is a design constraint and its effect depends on both the path of the water flow and the PV cell connections.

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Why is it important?

Our results show that in the planning and installation of photovoltaic and photovoltaic-thermal systems, the effects of mismatch must be adequately considered in the evaluation of energy production and thus the cost-effectiveness of the chosen solution.