Performance evaluation of the polycrystalline photovoltaic module under Iraqi harsh weather conditions

The output parameters of photovoltaic (PV) module are influenced by temperature variation. If the module temperature increases, most of parameters negatively decrease. In this work, an experimental investigation was performed to evaluate the performance of a commercial polycrystalline silicon PV module under Iraqi harsh weather conditions. The experimental test was carried out at the campus of the Middle Technical University, Baghdad, Iraq with metrological conditions at (33.3 N 44.4 E) during a selected day of July 2021. The temperature of PV module and electrical characteristics were measured. In addition, the current-voltage curve (I-V) and power-voltage curve (P-V) curves were drawn. The measured data showed that the PV temperature was varied from 35.2 oC at 7:00 am to 69 oC at 2:00 pm. The maximum electrical power was recorded 123 W at 12:00 pm with solar irradiance 961 W/m2. Furthermore, the average electrical efficiency was recorded a highest value about 16.6% at the solar radiation value of 318 W/m2 around 7:00 am. On the other side, the fill factor was recorded a maximum value about 76%.