Accuracy of CdTe PV Energy Predictions Using Spectral Corrections

Outdoor Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic (PV) array performance is analyzed to evaluate the accuracy of a previously proposed spectral correction method and the impact of its inclusion on PV performance modeling. The spectral correction is of simple functional form, requiring air mass and precipitable water as inputs. Data is analyzed from four arrays, each containing twenty First Solar Series 4–2 CdTe PV modules. Two of the arrays are located in the desert climate of Mesa, Arizona. The other two arrays are located in the tropical climate of Kulim, Malaysia. Results demonstrate that the spectral correction method can improve the accuracy of PV performance modeling. It reduced seasonal biases when modeling the energy output of the arrays in Arizona, and it reduced large persistent biases when modeling the energy output of the arrays in Malaysia.

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