24th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference, 21-25 September 2009, Hamburg, Germany

BUILDING A PHOTOVOLTAIC MODULE TO REALIZE A STUDY OF THE TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTION IN OUTDOOR CONDITIONS A. C. Andrade, J. S. Martins Faculty of Physics Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul PUCRS Av. Ipiranga, 6681, Prdio 96A Porto Alegre RS Brazil CEP 90619-900 FAX: 55-51-3320-3616, Phone 55-51-3320-3682, e-mail: e-mail: kbral@pucrs.br, jefferson.santana@gmail.com

ABSTRACT: This work presents a method used to measure the temperature of solar cells operating in encapsulated photovoltaic modules. From experimental data, it will be possible to build a model that can predict the temperature distribution of a photovoltaic module, contributing, thus, to better characterize it. Hence, a photovoltaic module was built with temperature sensors placed in the back of the cells to measure the operating temperature in each cell of the module. In this research, temperature sensors are in direct contact with the encapsulated cells, so it is possible to accurately measure the temperature of each cell. When solar cells are electrically associated into photovoltaic modules operating in outdoor conditions, they can vary differences of temperature among them by factors such as efficiency, optical and electrical properties, or even by its position in the module. This fact that will be evaluated by measures taken during this research and that will improve the temperature measurement for the characterization of the photovoltaic module. Keywords: PV Module, Qualification and Testing, Module Temperature. 1 INTRODUCTION positioning influences the equilibrium of each one of them. In this case, the cells positioned in the extremities tend to have smaller temperatures than the ones in the central part. This fact could be explained if you consider the boundaries of heat transfer for each cell. This could be verified through analytical solutions or by means of simulation programs that consider the heat transfer cell to cell, and between the module and the environment. For the geometry of a photovoltaic module, a numerical approach is simpler than an analytical solution. This choice is justified due to the fact that, in a photovoltaic module, the geometry to the applications of the boundaries conditions to the individual temperature determination is very complex. 2 THE MODULE

This work has, as main target, the building of a module using photovoltaic cells calibrated in the standard conditions and in different temperature conditions of temperature and irradiance. The module was prepared with temperature sensors, installed in direct contact with the back side of each cell. Another objective of this work is to achieve the measurement of temperature from the solar cells in the encapsulated module. It also intends, using a numeric simulation program [1] combined with experimental data obtained by the cells calibration, to verify a model that could forecast the temperature distribution of this photovoltaic module. Standard conditions established to characterize photovoltaic modules are: 25 C temperature, irradiance of 1000 W/m with spectral distribution equivalent to the solar radiation with air mass 1.5. However, in conditions different from the standards, the rules disagree about the way to observe the temperature of the cells in the module. This way, to observe the temperature distribution of the module is important to a complete characterization. Considering the temperature as one of the factors that influence the electrical behaviour of the cells, it is important that this amount would be precisely known, in order to make the proposed models become the closest possible to reality. It is also important to consider that differences could occur between the cell temperature and the temperature of the external surfaces of the materials that encapsulate the modules. This way, as the temperature sensors are in direct contact with the encapsulated cells, it is possible to accurately measure each temperature. When the photovoltaic module is exposed to outdoor conditions, its cells can present differences of temperature, between themselves, due to factors like efficiency, optical properties, and even so, due to their position in the module. Even if you admit that all cells have the same electrical and optical characteristics, the

2.1 Characterization of the module To make the characterization of the cell to build the module, it was used a simulator type AD 1000, Class C. Initially, there was a set of 24 solar cells that were released by the Center for Solar Energy Technology (http://www.pucrs.br/cbsolar/ntsolar/). After characterization, nine cells were chosen to compose the photovoltaic module. In the process of characterization, it was determined the I-V curve of each cell, with an irradiance of 1000 W / m, for different temperatures. Thus, for a range of 15 C to 60 C, with variations of temperature at intervals of 5 C, 10 curves were obtained for each cell characterized I&V, one for each temperature value. Figure 1 shows the I&V curves obtained for different temperatures, for one of the 24 cells characterized. Figure 2 shows an image of the simulator that was used. Knowing the electrical characteristics of all cells, it was possible to select nine cells to form the photovoltaic module. Aiming to analyze the behavior of a module has different electric performances among their cells. Seven cells that had similar efficiencies were selected

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(approximately 13%) and two cells with different efficiencies (6 % and 11% efficiency approximately).

09 2.2 Temperature sensors

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Figure 1: I-V curve at different temperatures for one of the 24 solar cells characterized.

The temperature sensors were placed between the back face of the cell and the EVA (Ethyl Vinyl Acetate). In contact with the cells, the temperature sensors determine the temperature with accuracy greater than if compared with other noninvasive techniques of measurement. With the support of specialized laboratories in Electro-Electronics, Calibration and Testing (LABELO) located at PUCRS (Pontifcia Universidade Catlica do Rio Grande do Sul/Brasil), it was performed a calibration of temperature sensor of the type PT-100. LABELO did the calibration of a temperature sensor according to NBR 13773:1997 standards and guidelines for realizing the International Temperature Scale of 1990 (ITS-90) of NIST in its technical note 1265. The sensor calibrated by LABELO was used as standard for calibration of other nine temperature sensors. 2.3 Module encapsulation The experimental module was encapsulated in a laminator from the Laboratrio do Ncleo Tecnolgico em Energia Solar (NT-Solar) da Faculdade de Fsica da PUCRS. The cells terminals and wiring from the temperature sensors were prepared to be connected externally to facilitate to perform different associations, as well as to allow the measures the individual voltage of the cells during testing. The connection to the temperature sensors allow the individual temperature measurement from the module cells. 3 NUMERICAL MODEL

Figure 2: Simulator used to characterize the cells of the module. The cells passed through a process of identification and it was observed an efficiency drop. Table 1 shows the efficiencies of the cells before and after of the welding. The built module has dimensions of 0.39 m X 0.28 m, the cells have horizontal space of 5 mm and vertical space of 46 mm between them and the thickness of the module is 0.43 mm. Table I: Efficiency of the cells before and after the process of welding. Cell identification number 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 Before the process of welding (%) 6.0 11.3 13.2 13.2 13.2 13.3 13.1 13.2 After the process of welding (%) 4.0 7.0 8.8 10.9 10.0 9.6 9.3 10.4

Current (mA)

To the calculation of the cells temperature, it was used an explicit numerical method. With this method, the initial cell temperature was taken as basic parameter combined with the boundary conditions, and the new temperature was determined [2]. The thermal model used for the solving considers the thermal conductivity from the encapsulating materials, the convection from the front side and the back side of the module, the radiation between the sky and the front surface of the module and the rear side and the surroundings, the irradiance received by the cells and electrical power on the way out. In this simulation program, the cells are individualised and, this way, the calculation routines are executed according the positioning of the cells in the module. Figure 3 shows the thermal resistance model used in the simulation calculations, where Tair represents the environment temperature, Tsurr is the surroundings temperature and Tsky the sky temperature. The sky temperature is calculated from the dew point temperature [3]. Also, in the calculation of the cells temperature are considered the transmittance of glass and the absortptance of each cell of the module. The simulation program generates a matrix, indexed by time, with the temperature values of each one of the cells. During the calculations, the cell temperature is updated step by step. A more detailed description of this program could be found in [1].

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Figure 3: Thermal resistance model 4 CELLS TEMPERATURE

The module in open circuit was installed in outdoor conditions. Temperature measures were taken from the cells by PT100 sensors. Figure 4 shows the temporal evolution of the module cells temperature, corresponding to a set of temperature measurements done in a clear day. The voltage values of this testing suffered small variations along the time. In relation of cells, the temperature measurements, obtained by the PT100 sensors, followed the environmental temperatures with a delay. In cases of greater temperatures observed, there were differences to till 3 C between the cell temperature and the glass surface temperature. In this particular test, the glass superficial temperature was measured with an infra red thermometer.
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module. The first one is on the selection of the cells from the future module. It is important to mention that many papers deal about this subject. Another important factor is the welding of the metallic tapes in the grid of cell metallization. A bad welding increases the series resistance of the cell and, as a consequence, there is a reduction in its efficiency. It has also been verified that the use of cleaning liquids to facilitate the welding process could cause damage to the module in the process of lamination. These damages are associated to the infiltration of steam from these liquids during the process of vacuum and heating done to the encapsulation. To build a module with cells with different electrical characteristics has made possible to observe the existence of hot spots in the module, when operating in short circuit in outdoor conditions. With these measures it was also possible to verify the differences between the cell temperature and the glass surface temperature. In the case of the module built it has been made holes in the encapsulation in order to make the measurement of the individual tensions of the cells. These measures prove the fact that the addition of the tensions from the module in short circuit be equal to zero. This way, the cells with better electrical characteristics became positively polarized and the cells with worse electrical characteristics negatively polarized. Due to this condition, the cells with negative polarization work as charge and dissipate a fraction of energy provided by the other cells of the module. The result of this dissipation is verified by the increase of temperature of the worst cells. It was verified that due to the great variety of geometries of cells distribution and because of differences of materials that compose the module it is very difficult to achieve a generic model to predict the distribution of temperatures. Nevertheless, adjusting the simulation program to the geometry of the module, this task becomes possible. With the results of the measures taken, it is possible to affirm that is feasible to evaluate the temperature of each cell, within a good range, from the measure of the external glass surface temperature in the correspondent position from the photovoltaic cell. 6 CONCLUSIONS As a conclusion we state that to achieve the manufacturing of a good photovoltaic module, besides a good electrical characterization of the cells, you need to have special care with the welding and encapsulating processes. These factors can cause very severe decreases in the efficiency of a module, even if the cells were high quality ones prior to the process of welding. To make a generic model to the predict of temperatures distribution in a photovoltaic module could be considered a hard task to execute due to the fact that you have a great amount of technologies and geometries of modules. It was verified that in steady state is possible to evaluate the cell temperature from the glass external temperature surface. 7 REFERENCES

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Figure 4: Temporal evolution of the temperature for all cells 5 RESULTS

Based on the results of this work, it was proved that you have critical steps on the building of a photovoltaic

[1] A.C.Andrade, Anlise da Distribuio de Temperaturas em Mdulos Fotovoltaicos, Tese PROMEC-

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UFRGS, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil, (2008) 130. [2] C. R. Malisca, Transferncia de Calor e Mecnica dos Fluidos Computacional, LTC, 2 Ed, Rio de Janeiro,(2004) 453. [3] ASHRAE, Fundamental Handbook, Chapters 37-38 (2001). 8 SPECIAL THANKS

We would like to thank to the NTSolar da Faculdade de Fsica da Pontifcia Universidade Catlica (PUCRS) the great support in the manufacturing of the cells used in this research, as well as the authorization to the technical team to help in the manufacturing of this module. We would also thank the financial support received from PUC and FINEP.

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