Performance assessment of a microcrystalline Si PV installation in a warm climate

Abstract

In the search for the best compromise between output performance and production cost, the PV industry has devoted considerable efforts in R&D in the last decades. Associated to the incentive programs led by Germany in the form of its feed-in tariffs program, these efforts have resulted in the impressive growth this industry has experienced in the last ten years. Among the competing PV technologies, thin film amorphous silicon has strived to overcome efficiency and production cost limitations, and the development of microcrystalline silicon has brought to the market large-area PV modules with efficiencies closer to 10%. It has been previously demonstrated that thin film a-Si is a good performer in warm climates. In this work we assess the performance of a 2kWp μc-Si installation operating in a warm climate in Brazil, at the same site where we have been operating a 2kWp a-Si installation for over 12 years. Our results show that both a-Si and μc-Si perform well under the high operating temperatures prevailing at the site.