Title :
Testing of photovoltaic concentrator modules
Author :
van Dyk, E.E. ; Vorster, F.J. ; Leitch, A.W.R.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Phys., Port Elizabeth Univ., South Africa
Abstract :
The aim of the study was to evaluate the performance of point focused, high concentration photovoltaic (PV) concentrator modules, rather than to conduct a qualification procedure. This was done to determine what the actual performance of the modules was under operating conditions, i.e., to answer the question, what power can these modules deliver and how reliable is the system? This paper reports on the evaluation conducted on a PV concentrator system deployed at the University of Port Elizabeth. The types of tests conducted are discussed and significant results shown.
Keywords :
lenses; monitoring; solar cell arrays; solar energy concentrators; testing; Fresnel lens alignment; University of Port Elizabeth; current-voltage curves; performance monitoring; photovoltaic cell array; photovoltaic concentrator modules; power output monitoring; testing; tracking alignment; Africa; Circuit testing; Inspection; Lenses; Photovoltaic systems; Power system reliability; Qualifications; Solar power generation; Temperature; Voltage;
Conference_Titel :
Photovoltaic Specialists Conference, 2002. Conference Record of the Twenty-Ninth IEEE
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-7471-1
DOI :
10.1109/PVSC.2002.1190915
