Accurate prediction of electric power for photovoltaic modules using particle swarm optimzation

A dynamic thermal model has been recently developed [1] for prediction of module temperature, considering all possible mechanisms of heat transfer between the module and its environment. In this work, we extend the above approach for prediction of the electric output power directly from irradiation and weather data. The new approach, to the best of our knowledge, is the first demonstration of an integrated scheme for robust and accurate prediction of the output electric power of a PV module in actual field conditions, and it is therefore practically more relevant for PV manufacturers as well as customers.