CORRIGENDUM No. 2 - Yap State Government

• Manufacturer’s Tolerance: Most manufacturers rate their modules ± a percentage (eg ±5%) or wattage
(eg ±2W). Unless every module is tested and its actual rating is known then the modules should be derated
by the manufacturer’s tolerance.
• Dirt: Over a period of time dirt or salt (if located near the coast) can build up on the array and reduce
the output. The output of the module should therefore be derated to reflect this soiling. The actual value
will be dependent on the site but this can vary from 0.9 to 1 (i.e. up to 10% loss due to dirt).
• Temperature: Modules’ output power decreases with temperature above 25°C and increases with
temperatures below 25°C. The average cell temperatu re will be higher than the ambient temperature
because of the glass on the front of the module and the fact that the module absorbs some heat from
the sun. The output power and/or current of the module must be based on the effective temperature of
the cell. This is determined by the following formula:
T cell-eff = T a.day + 25°C
Where
T cell-eff = the average daily effective cell temperature in degrees Celsius (°C)
T a.day = the daytime average ambient temperature for the month that the sizing is being undertaken.
With switched controllers the temperature effect was used to determine the operating current of the
module/array. With MPPT’s the derating power factor must be calculated.
The three main types solar modules available on the market each have different temperature coefficients.
These are:
• Monocrystalline: Modules typically have a temperature coefficient of –0.45%/ o C. That is for every
degree above 25 o C the output power is derated by 0.45%.
• Polycrystalline: Modules typically have a temperature coefficient of –0.5%/ o C.
• Thin Film: Modules have a different temperature characteristic resulting in a lower co-efficient typically
around 0%/°C to -0.25%/°C, but remember to check with the manufacturer
The typical ambient daytime temperature in many parts of the Pacific is between 30 and 35 o C during some
times of the year. So it would not be uncommon to have module cell temperatures of 55 o C or higher.
For the worked example Assume the ambient temperature is 30 o C..
Therefore the effective cell temperature is
30 o C +25 o C = 55 o C
Therefore this is 30 o C above the STC temperature of 25 o C.
The 80 W P module used in this example is a polycrystalline module with a derating of -0.5%/ o C
Therefore the losses due to temperature would be:
Temperature loss = 30 o C x 0.5%/ o C = 15% loss
This is a temperature derating factor of 0.85
Assuming a 5% dirt derating then the adjusted output power of the 80W module is:
Adjusted module power = 80 x 0.95 x 0.95 x 0.85 = 61.4W
NUMBER OF MODULES REQUIRED IN ARRAY
To calculate the required number of modules in the array, divide the required array power by the adjusted
module power.
Issue 1 September 2012 Page 12