PEACE WORK FATHER LAND PAIX TRAVAIL PATRIE

MINISTER OF HIGHER MINISTRE DE L’ENSEIGNEMENT

EDUCATION SUPERIEUR

UNIVERSITY OF BUEA UNIVERSITE DE BUEA

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING

COURSE TITLE: RENEWABLE ENERGY COMPONENTS AND TECHNOLOGIES

LAB

COURSE CODE: 488

GROUP MEMBERS

S/N NAME MATRICULE

1 KUBI COSMOS VENWEH FE20A177

3 KOAGNE TIEKAM FRANK FE20A175

4 NGONG KUOH NGAM FE20A194

5 NGULEFAC OLIVER FONGUNG FE20A196

6 KAMENYI TCHINDA ASTINIE FE20A169

COURSE INSTRUCTOR

Dr. NOUADJEP SERGE

Dr. AKANA MAY, 2022

Practical 1: Photovoltaic Characterization

Introduction:

Photovoltaic cells are used to convert sunlight into electrical energy, and they are becoming
increasingly popular due to their renewable and sustainable nature. The efficiency of solar cells
is affected by various factors, including temperature, irradiance, and load resistance. The
photovoltaic characteristics of a solar panel can be determined by measuring its current and
voltage output under different load conditions. In this experiment, we used a variable resistor to
simulate different load conditions and measured the corresponding current and voltage output to
determine the photovoltaic characteristics of a solar panel.

Materials and Methods

The following materials were used in the experiment:

 Solar panels
 Variable resistor
 Multimeters
 Wires and connectors
 Irradiance sensor

First goals of lab session

The solar panel was placed at an angle of 15o facing south and the following experimental results
were observed

 Determination of Voc, Isc, Pmax, MPP and Efficiency of a monocyrstalline solar panel
 VOC = open-circuit voltage – This is the maximum voltage that the array provides when
the terminals are not connected to any load (an open circuit condition). The value we
obtained from our solar panel was 21.56V at an irradiance of 7.36W/m2
 ISC = short-circuit current – The maximum current provided by the PV array when the
output connectors are shorted together (a short circuit condition). This value is much
higher than Imp which relates to the normal operating circuit current. From our solar,
panel, we obtain a short circuit current of 2.09A
 MPP = maximum power point – This relates to the point where the power supplied by
the array that is connected to the load (batteries, inverters) is at its maximum value,
where
MPP = Imp x Vmp.
From graph 1, Imp = 1.5A, and Vmp = 18V
 MPP = 27.0W

 Maximum Power Pmax the maximum power produced by the panel was calculated from

 The fill factor (FF): The fill factor is the relationship between the maximum power that
the array can actually provide under normal operating conditions and the product of the
open-circuit voltage multiplied by the short-circuit current, ( VOC x ISC ) This fill factor
value gives an idea of the quality of the array and the closer the fill factor is to 1 (unity),
the more power the array can provide. Typical values are between 0.7 and 0.8.
 FF = Pmax / (Voc * Isc)
 The panel efficiency: The efficiency of a photovoltaic array is the ratio between the
maximum electrical power that the array can produce compared to the amount of solar
irradiance hitting the array.
When the Irradiance was 7.12W/m2,
The voltage produced = 20.76V
At a current of = 0.33A
Area of solar panel = 0.4488m2
 Power input of Solar panel (W/m2) = 7.12
 Power output (7.12W/m2) = (V*I) / Area = 2.76
 Efficiency = (Power output/ power input) * 100
= 38.76%
Experimental procedure IV characteristics of a single solar panel

The solar panel was placed at an angle of 15o facing south and the following experimental results
were observed

The solar panel was connected in series with the variable resistor and the multi-meter to measure
the current and voltage output. The variable resistor was adjusted to simulate different load
conditions, and the corresponding current and voltage readings were recorded in the table below.
The experiment was conducted outdoors under variable irradiance.

Results and observations.

Irradiance (W/m2) Current ( I ) Voltage ( V )

6.67 2.016 8.07

7.73 1.842 14.74

7.2 1.490 17.89

7.5 0.959 19.18

7.23 0.809 19.42

7.73 0.702 19.65

7.01 0.555 19.76

6.73 0.55 19.80

 7.12 0.5 20.14

7.74 0.46 20.56

7.74 0.433 20.76

5.75 0.399 20.76

Graph of Current against Voltage

The results of the experiment showed that the current and voltage output of the solar panel were
affected by the load resistance. As the load resistance increased, the current output decreased,
while the voltage output increased. Conversely, as the load resistance decreased, the current
output increased, while the voltage output decreased. This relationship is known as the I-V
curve, which shows the relationship between the current and voltage output of a solar panel
under different load conditions.

The maximum power point (MPP) was determined by finding the load resistance that resulted in
the maximum power output. The MPP is the point on the I-V curve where the product of the
current and voltage output is maximum. By finding the MPP, we can determine the optimal load
resistance for the solar panel to achieve maximum power output.

The panel when then tilted so as to change the angle to 45% and the following data was
collected

Current (I) Voltage (V)

0.27 1.8

0.31 4.8

0.32 5.22

0.66 15.7

0.75 21.1

0.42 20.7

0.85 21.6

0.30 19.8

0.32 20.5

0.33 20.4

0.43 20.9

0.44 21.11

The panel was turned upside down and covered with a cloth to reduce the total irradiance
reaching the panel. The values below on the table were taken
 Irradiance (W/m2) Current ( I, mA) Voltage (mV)

1.102 5.385 107.7

1.134 7.023 280.9

1.09 4.91 294.7

1.04 3.192 255.4

1.11 4.28 428

1.07 3.72 446

0.972 1.58 452.0

Two solar panels were connected in series and the following videos were taken

Current (I) Voltage(V)

0.824 0.047

0.854 7.9

0.869 17.4

0.859 24.4
 0.852 29.69

0.864 33.45

0.219 15.89

0.213 18.36

0.215 21.22

0.211 20.22

0.201 21.76

0.204 21.06

The two panels were connected in parallel and the following values were taken

Irradiance Current (I)mV Voltage (V)

221.8 0.43V

223.7 7.42

220.7 15.44

205.7 18.42

209.7 18.95

211.9 19.25

217.8 19.5

245.2 19.76

287.2 20.18

310.7 20.26

295.8 20.22

299.9 20.91
Conclusion

In conclusion, this experiment demonstrated the photovoltaic characteristics of a solar panel and
how they are affected by load resistance. The results showed that the current and voltage output
of the solar panel can be measured under different load conditions to determine the I-V curve and
the maximum power point. By finding the MPP, we can determine the optimal load resistance
for the solar panel to achieve maximum power output. This information can be useful in
designing and optimizing solar energy systems.

Recommendations

To improve the accuracy of the experiment, it is recommended to conduct the experiment

outdoors under varying irradiance conditions to simulate real-world scenarios. It is also
recommended to use a data logger to record the current and voltage readings automatically and
continuously to reduce measurement errors. Additionally, it is recommended to repeat the
experiment multiple times to ensure the consistency and reliability of the results.

References

[1] A. Luque and S. Hegedus, Handbook of Photovoltaic Science and Engineering. John Wiley
& Sons Ltd, 2011.

[2] P. J. Wallbank, Solar Cells: Operating Principles, Technology and System Applications.
Elsevier Ltd, 2012.

[3] R. M. Swanson, "Maximum Power Point Tracking for Photovoltaic Systems," IEEE
Transactions on Energy Conversion, vol. 22, no. 2, pp. 439-449, Jun. 2007.

https://www.alternative-energy-tutorials.com/photovoltaics/solar-cell-i-v-
characteristic.html

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Circuit-diagram-of-PV-and-other-tools-connected-
together_fig1_261505652