Performance analysis of different grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) system technologies with combined capacity of 20 kw located in humid tropical climate

Objective: This study presents the outdoor performance of five solar photovoltaic (PV) systems with five different solar cell technologies (poly-crystalline (pc-Si)), mono crystalline (mc-Si), Copper Indium disulfide (CIS) thin-film, Amorphous Silicon (a-Si), and Heterojunction Incorporating thin (HIT) film. Methods: The PV systems are installed on rooftop of buildings at the Kwame Nkrumah University Science and Technology, Ghana. The systems' energy output in 2014, module temperature as well as environmental data were collected and analysed. Results: The total annual energy delivered to the grid varies between 3133.2 kWh for CIS and 4572.1 kWh for pc-Si while the performance ratio varies from 48.84% (CIS) to 71.26% (for p-Si). The annual energy density ranges between 45.7 kWh/m(2) for CIS and 195.8 kWh/m(2) for HIT. The total actual energy delivered to the grid by all the systems in 2014 is 20.62 MWh. Conclusions: The performance data shows, that, the CIS technology is least suitable while p-Si is the most suitable solar PV technology for the site considered, followed by a-Si, HIT and me-Si respectively. If space is a constraint, then, the HIT based system is most suitable solar PV technology for this site and potentially, sites with similar climate. Practice implications: The findings from this study are useful in identifying solar cell technologies that are appropriate for this location and provide useful information to policy makers and individuals about the performance of grid-tied PV system in Ghana. (C) 2016 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.