In this work, performance analysis and comparison of eight photovoltaic (PV) technologies were carried out under the local harsh climate conditions of Kuwait. The test facility is elevated 3 metres above groun.
In this work, performance analysis and comparison of eight photovoltaic (PV) technologies were carried out under the local harsh climate conditions of Kuwait. The test facility is elevated 3 metres above ground level on top of carports at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR), alongside the seashore.
This paper presents a comparative performance evaluation of eight commercially available photovoltaic modules (m-Si, p-Si, HIT and thin film with several technologies (CdTe, CIGS and u-Si)) in the harsh climate of Kuwait. The final energy yield of different kinds of modules was analysed to show the technology specific differences.
Outdoor testing of 8 different PV technologies under Kuwait climate conditions. Impact of PV soiling due to dust deposit on modules temperature and performance. HIT modules are found to perform consistently better than other technologies. Glass modules are more resistant to soiling losses compared to epoxy PV surfaces.
Referring to Fig. 10, it can be observed that for clean PV modules, the performance ratio ranges between 0.74 and 0.91, while for the dirty ones the range falls between 0.46 and 0.75. The most significant drop in performance ratio range (clean vs. dirty) is displayed by the a-SI (TF4) modules (0.81 vs. 0.46).