testing PV modules [RE-wrenches]
Richard Perez, Home Power magazine
richard.perez at homepower.com
Sun Mar 18 10:51:18 PST 2001
<x-flowed>Hello Wrenches
Home Power has done some PV testing in the past. We did not make any
judgements, we just published the data (IV curves). As soon as we get
time, we're going to do it again. In spite of Hugh's opinion, we do
do real world testing and publish the results. I passed on Gipe's
article because of its vendetta against the Airs.
I think that independent testing is a better idea than having HP do
it. This sounds like an excellent job for the RE Laboratory. Testing
of this sort is a full time job.
While the rudimentary IV curve testing we have done here is accurate,
we really need to know more. Each module should be logged for energy.
I'd like to know things such as number of watt-hours produced by
different modules mounted on the same rack. This will require daily
data logging over time. Each module should be data logged for amps
once per second. Also data logged should be system voltage, solar
insolation, and back of module temperature. Just updating and
processing this data is a large job.
Data could be continually published on the web and occasionally in Home Power.
I agree that manufacturers' specifications don't tell us what we need
to know to effectively design and install RE systems. In the case of
PVs, they are rated at 25 degrees C cell temperature. In the case of
inverters, the specifications ignore powering reactive loads.
Real world testing in working systems is really the only way we'll
ever get the info we need.
Richard
--
------------------------------------
Richard Perez
Home Power
PO Box 520, Ashland, OR 97520 USA
Tele: 530-475-3179
FAX: 530-475-0836
Subscriptions: 800-707-6585
mailto:richard.perez at homepower.com
Web: http://www.homepower.com
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