Impact of Climatic Factors on the Outdoor Performance of Photovoltaic Modules

Abstract

In tropical climates, photovoltaic (PV) modules benefit from extended sunlight exposure and increased solar radiation intensity, which contribute to improved energy capture. However, only a small percentage of the solar energy is transformed into electrical power and the rest is lost as heat, which raises the module's temperature and reduces its efficiency. This scope of this study is limited to 50 data entries to evaluate the impact of environmental variables including ambient temperature, relative humidity, solar irradiation, and module surface temperature on the electrical performance of PV systems under tropical outdoor settings. The parameters were recorded simultaneously to establish their correlation with PV efficiency. A set of measurement instruments and environmental sensors were employed to monitor the maximum power output, temperature profiles, and humidity levels. The analysis revealed a marginal rise in PV efficiency when ambient temperatures ranged between 27 °C and 41 °C. However, a 1% increase in relative humidity led to an approximate 0.14% drop in conversion efficiency. Furthermore, performance degradation was observed once module temperatures exceeded 49.1 °C. Notably, solar irradiance demonstrated a directly proportional relationship with efficiency when other climatic variables were held constant.