A PV temperature prediction model for BIPV configurations, comparison with other models and experimental results

The temperatures of c-Si and pc-Si BIPV configurations of different manufacturers were studied when operating under various environmental conditions. The BIPV configurations formed part of the roof in a Zero Energy Building, (ZEB), hanged over windows with varying inclination on a seasonal basis and finally two identical 0.5kWp PV generators were mounted on a terrace in two modes: fixed inclination and sun-tracking. The PV and ambient temperatures, Tpv and Ta, respectively, the intensity of the global solar radiation on the modules, IT, and the wind velocity on their surface, vw, were monitored for 2 years. The effect of the intensity, IT, the PV module inclination and vw, on Tpv was investigated. The values of the coefficient f relating Tpv and IT, were determined and argued for the configurations studied. A theoretical model was elaborated to predict Tpv and f for the cases of PV modules embedded on a roof, hanging over the windows and in free standing configurations. The effect of vw on f dominated for PV modules mounted on the terrace compared to the BIPV configurations in wind protected areas.