Explicit empirical model for photovoltaic devices. Experimental validation

A comparison between the experimental current-voltage (I-V) and power-voltage (P-V) characteristics of PhotoVoltaic (PV) modules, and the prediction of an explicit empirical model has been carried out. The model consists of an explicit expression for the current as a function of the voltage; the only inputs are the parameters that are always directly available in the manufacturer's datasheet. The comparison was carried out on four representative PV technologies, based on polycrystalline Si, Heterojunction with Intrinsic Thin layer (HIT), Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS), and Cadmium Telluride (CdTe). The comparison reveals that the model replicates the experimental I-V and P-V curves to a very good degree of accuracy for the considered operating conditions and PV technologies. This validation sets a turning point in PV modelling, as it enables a reliable use of this accessible model.