Simulation and Performance Analysis of Photovoltaic Units under the Influence of Environmental Variables using MATLAB/Simulink
Keywords:
Solar cells, MATLAB/Simulink, Solar irradiance, Temperature, Photovoltaic performance, Simulation, ModelingAbstract
Solar energy is one of the most important renewable energy sources, effectively contributing to meeting the growing global demand for electricity while reducing carbon emissions. Despite the high performance of these units, a precise quantitative analysis of the impact of varying environmental factors on them using dynamic modeling remains essential to improve their performance in field conditions, particularly solar irradiance intensity and temperature, which directly affect the electrical conversion efficiency of the system. This study aims to model and simulate the electrical performance of a high-efficiency photovoltaic unit of type SunPower SPR-415E-WHT-D using the MATLAB/Simulink environment, in order to analyze the influence of environmental variations on current-voltage (I-V) and power-voltage (P-V) characteristics. The simulation was carried out over an irradiance range of 200–1000 W/m² and temperatures ranging from 15–35°C. The results showed that increasing irradiance leads to a significant rise in maximum power, increasing from 18.7 W at 200 W/m² to 424.8 W at 1000 W/m², representing a growth rate of approximately 2171%. In contrast, rising temperature causes a decrease in voltage and consequently power, with maximum power decreasing by 5.27% when the temperature increased from 15°C to 35°C. These results clearly highlight the urgent need for thermal management and the implementation of effective performance-enhancing strategies, including the integration of Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) algorithms in photovoltaic systems, particularly in regions with hot climates and high solar irradiance levels.
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References
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