Performance assessment of a 400 kWp multi- technology photovoltaic grid-connected pilot plant in arid region of Algeria

Abstract In this paper, a new study has been carried out to analyze the behavior of four different Photovoltaic (PV) module technologies such as the Mono-crystalline silicon, the Multi-crystalline silicon, the amorphous silicon and the Telluride Cadmium as sub-systems from which a 400kWp pilot plant have been constructed at Ghardaia (The northern-central Sahara desert of Algeria). In this work, the results obtained from experimental data acquisition over a period of one year have been analyzed and discussed in terms of plant power production. In addition to that, performance indicators comprising the reference yield, the final yield, the performance ratio, the capacity factor and a newly suggested factor called the power ratio have been used to assess the sub-systems energetic performances. The performances of the studied sub-systems have been compared, then, to those of other systems located in countries regarded as having similar radiometric and climatic conditions. An additional study have been conducted to evaluate the effect of such important climatic and operating parameters as wind speed, ambient temperature, solar irradiance and module temperature on the energetic performances of the studied sub-systems. The experimental results obtained from monitoring of the studied sub-systems indicate that the plant performs best when it is operated under irradiance comprised between 5.56 kWh/m2 and 7.04 kWh/m2 and ambient temperature between 2 °C and 45 °C. Based on energy production and thermal stability results, the present study has allowed the identification of the most efficient and the best suitable of the aforementioned PV technologies for such arid-regions conditions.