UNIVERSITI TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN

Faculty : Faculty of Engineering and Science Unit Code : UEEA3363/ UEEP3363

Courses : Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Unit Title : Renewable Energy
Mechanical Engineering, Physics,
Material and Manufacturing
Engineering
Year : Year 2, Year 3 and Year 4 Lecturer : Dr. Lim Boon Han

Session : Jan 2015

Experiment No 1:

Title: Basic solar PV module output test

Objectives: 1. To investigate a PV module’s short circuit current and open circuit
voltage at various inclination and orientation angles
2. To observe the relationship between the efficiency of photovoltaic
module and temperature

Components:
1. PV module
2. Protractor for measuring the angles
3. 2 units of Multimeters (mA Ammeter, Voltmeter)
4. Retort stand
5. Variable resistors (50 , 100 , 1 k, 5 k)
6. Xenon Lamp (Solar simulator)
7. DC power supply
8. Wires
 Green wire
Gnd
Xenon Lamp with reflector
White wire
+12V
Gnd
+12V
Black wire Yellow wire 25 cm

DC power Photovoltaic Module

supply
Fig. 1

Multimeter

Xenon Lamp with

reflector

25 cm

Tilted PV module

Fig. 2
Experimental Procedures

Part 1: Open circuit voltage versus time

1. Set the first mulitmeters to mA for it to function as ammeter and set the second
multimeter to V for it to function as voltmeter.
2. Set up the Xenon lamp with reflector by connected the wires to the DC power
supply as shown in Fig. 1
3. Switch on the Xenon lamp and turn on the timer, immediately records down the
open circuit voltage V oc1.
4. For every 1 minute, record the open circuit voltage as Voc2 until the thermal
equilibrium is reached where the voltage become nearly constant for 10 minutes.
5. Calculate the temperature T2 of the photovoltaic module for every recorded value
of Voc2 using the formula, Voc2 = V oc1 (T2/T1) + (m Eg/e)  (1– T2/T1) where Eg for Si
is 1.1 eV, m is number of solar cells in series and assume that the room
temperature T1 is 298 K, e is electronic charge and T2 is the temperature in K.
6. Plot the graph of T2 (C) versus time (minutes).

Part 2: Open Circuit Voltage and Short Circuit Current for different tilted angle
7. After the thermal equilibrium is reached, record the open circuit voltage, Voc, and
the short circuit current, Isc, for PV module placed in horizontal.
8. Now tilt the module from the horizontal by approximately 10 and record the
corresponding open circuit voltage Voc and short circuit current Isc reading at this
position.
9. Repeat the preceding step in tilt angle increments of about 10 unit the module is
vertical and record each corresponding current an voltage readings.
Voc  I sc
10. Plot the value of Ratio of versus tilted angle .
Voc  I sc


The first recorded open circuit voltage: V oc1=______________

Part 1: Open circuit voltage versus time

Time (minutes) Open circuit voltage, V oc2 Calculated temperature, T2

(Volt) (°C)
Part 2: Open Circuit Voltage and Short Circuit Current for different tilted angle

The open circuit voltage for PV module placed in horizontal: Voc=______________

The short circuit current for PV module placed in horizontal: Isc=______________

Tilted Open circuit Short circuit Ratio of

angle  cos  voltage Voc current Isc Voc  Isc Voc  I sc
() (V) (mA) Voc  I sc
