Research Focuses on Limitations Mathematical Formulation for Solar Modules
A team of researchers including a Khalifa University faculty have developed a computational algorithm based on a mathematical analysis for understanding how solar panels function and identify the optimal operating conditions for the solar photovoltaic (PV) system.
The study was in a paper titled 鈥極n the parameters domain of the single-diode model鈥� in Solar Energy, the official journal of the International Solar Energy Society. The research team includes Dr. Denys Dutykh, Associate Professor, Mathematics, Khalifa University, Dr. Sylvain Lespinats, Researcher at the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission and Dr. Carlos C谩rdenas-Bravo, PhD Candidate, Universit茅 Savoie Mont Blanc, France.
With renewables playing a crucial role in addressing climate change, even solar power which stands out as a plentiful source of energy, can be challenging to harness, given the complex technology needed to support solar panels, essential for converting sunlight into electricity. Across different techniques to enhance the use of solar panels, the single-diode model (SDM), a mathematical equation to better predict and analyze the behavior of panels, is frequently employed to optimize panel performance.
In order to make the model more applicable to use in the field of solar energy technology, the computational algorithm developed by the researchers helps determine the parameters鈥� limit of the single-diode model. This analysis provides insight into how solar panels operate under specific voltage and current combinations that provide maximum power in a solar PV panel system.
The researchers tested their new algorithm using both simulated and real-world solar panel data to demonstrate its effectiveness and potential usefulness. Experiments involved聽 the use of 40,000 different hypothetical situations where a solar panel produced its maximum possible power. These experiments enabled the researchers to find the optimal value for the single-diode model equation to most accurately predict and match the maximum power points seen in the simulated cases. Using the algorithm, the research team also analyzed databases from the California Energy Commission (CEC) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), a research institute in Colorado, US, to highlight the practical approach of the SDM.
The researchers plan to explore extending the study to other solar PV models, such as the double-diode model or granular models and expand the current methodology to better analyze the electrical operation of solar PV systems.
Alisha Roy
Science Writer
15 July 2024
