Calculation of the cell temperature of a high concentrator photovoltaic (HCPV) module: A study and comparison of different methods

Ascertaining the operating cell temperature of a high concentrator photovoltaic (HCPV) module is critical because its electrical parameters are influenced by this factor. However, measuring the cell temperature of an HCPV module is a complex task due to the unique features of such a module. This paper calculates the cell temperature in an HCPV module by using different methods to address this important issue. We conducted a comparative study of four methods used to estimate the cell temperature of an HCPV module, including the IEC 60904-5 method, a method based on thermal resistance proposed by the Instituto de Sistemas Fotovoltaicos de Concentracion, the Lineal method and an artificial neural network-based method introduced in this paper. The complete procedures, parameters and coefficients required to estimate the cell temperature with each method are provided. The results show that methods based on direct measurements of the HCPV module perform better than methods based on atmospheric parameters. However, all of the studied methods can be used to estimate cell temperatures with an acceptable margin of error. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.