Under what conditions are solar panels’ power ratings measured?
Question by bnet3490: Under what conditions are solar panels’ power ratings measured?
I’m working on a school project and the panel we’re using has a max power rating of 100 watts. There are ASTM standards for obtaining this value, but I cannot access them anywhere without shelling out close to $ 50 (ASTM E772 is the article). I’m wondering if anyone knows the conditions under which this rating is obtained, so that I can model my data accordingly.
Oh, and references would be highly appreciated if you have any. Thanks in advance.
Best answer:
Answer by Wahab
The output resistance of your panel must be match input of your load,mean if soler Vmax is 18 volt then your converter input around about 17 volt and the power of converter must be 100 watt,you can use also more ranges converter like 130 200.the power of the converter must be equaled to panel or more then the panel.
What do you think? Answer below!
There are two different test conditions, the one the manufacturers use, and another which is closer to true output. They are defined in the link below
February 28th, 2013 at 5:56 amLook at the data sheet for the panel. It should make a reference to STC, or Standard Test Conditions. That specifies 1000 W/m^2 of light falling on the panel, blocked by 1.5 equivalent atmospheres of filtering, and the module temperature at 25 C. These are reasonable, except for the module temperature. No way is the panel going to stay at 25 C in the hot sun, unless you are in a windy, clear Winter. So that rating is optimistic. You can look up “standard test conditions solar” to get more information. But even if you know the procedure, it takes specialized equipment to perform the test.
The second rating system is PTC, which I find is actually a little conservative for where I am in California, but probably realistic for the rest of the country. If the manufacturer does not have a PTC rating in its spec sheet, you can find some here http://www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov/equipment/pv_modules.php .
Finally, some manfacturers do not follow any standards, which allows them to pull any number they want out of their *ss. Panels sold at discount hardware stores, for example, are often advertised as 15-watt panels, when they are really more like 5-watt panels. Your 100-watt panel is unlikely to fall into this category.
February 28th, 2013 at 6:24 am