Volume 61

Performance Assessment of the PV Cell String of a CPVT Collector under Shading and Elevated Temperature Iván Acosta-Pazmiño, Damu Murali, João P. Cardoso, Mathis Solier, Doğa Ceyhan, João Gomes

Abstract

This paper presents a computational performance analysis of the photovoltaic (PV) cell string configuration of a concentrating photovoltaic thermal (CPVT) collector. It is observed that the bottom PV cells of the receiver are significantly impacted by shading, and the performance degrades at elevated temperatures. Shading analysis reveals partial shading in certain cases, while other scenarios show complete shading of all bottom-side PV cells. Additionally, simulations reveal that elevated temperatures cause significant performance degradation in these PV cells, highlighting the need to reconsider existing PV cell technology and potentially replace it with more advanced alternatives. The findings from this study are expected to provide insights into strategies for mitigating the adverse effects of shading and temperature-related performance losses, contributing to the development of more efficient PV cell string configuration designs for CPVT systems. This research will inform future optimization approaches to enhance the overall performance and reliability of such collectors.

Keywords Concentrating photovoltaic thermal, shading analysis, electrical configuration, optical simulations