Model step
Module model
Module power from irradiance and temperature
Inputs used: Module model, Module efficiency, Nameplate power, Short-circuit current, Open-circuit voltage, Series resistance, Shunt resistance at reference irradiance, Pmax temperature coefficient, Cells in series
What it is
The module model turns the irradiance and the cell temperature into the module's DC power at every timestep. The one-diode models also give the voltage and the current: a circuit fitted to this module's datasheet values, or the published circuit of a representative module scaled to this module's nameplate. The PVWatts DC model needs the nameplate power only and gives the power only. The irradiance-level and temperature rows of the loss diagram measure the model's low-light and temperature behaviour.
Options
- Mermoud one-diode: the one-diode circuit of Mermoud and Lejeune, with a shunt resistance that rises at low irradiance
- CEC six-parameter, representative module: the CEC six-parameter circuit of a representative module, scaled to this module's nameplate
- CEC six-parameter, this module: the CEC six-parameter circuit with this module's own CEC database parameters
- PVWatts DC model (Dobos 2014): the nameplate power scaled by the irradiance and corrected by a power temperature coefficient
References
- De Soto, Klein & Beckman 2006, Improvement and validation of a model for photovoltaic array performance, Solar Energy 80(1) 78–88
- Mermoud & Lejeune 2010, Performance assessment of a simulation model for PV modules of any available technology, 25th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference
- Dobos 2014, PVWatts Version 5 Manual, NREL/TP-6A20-62641
API
module.model = mermoud | desoto | cec, or options.module_model; module.cec