Environmental Effects on the Operation of Triple-Junction Flexible Photovoltaic Panels

This thesis contains a complete description of a solar photovoltaic experiment to monitor and predict the performance of solar technology in the temperate climate in Ontario. An experiment was designed and built to monitor weather data and determine the operating characteristics of the modules using high-resolution equipment. The data gathered were used in the one-diode model to predict the power produced by the modules. A large sample of data was not achievable due to the experiment taking place during the winter where snow and a low solar angle heavily reduced the module performance. Results were nevertheless obtained for a Uni-Solar PVL-144 thin-film triple junction amorphous silicon module, and the power predicted was within 25% of what was measured. The module efficiency was found to be 7%-8% and the ideal tilt angle for Ottawa to be 50 degrees +/- 10 degrees. The findings presented in this thesis form a basis for