---

Solar irradiance measurement in Sylhet and performance evaluation of photovoltaic (PV) modules in outdoor conditions

Corresponding Author : M.M. Hasan (muhammad.hasan-ipe@sust.edu)

Authors : M.M.Hasan (muhammad.hasan-ipe@sust.edu)

Keywords : Renewable Energy, Solar Energy, Photovoltaic (PV), Polycrystalline-Si, Monocrystalline-Si

Abstract :

Replacing fossil fuel based energy by renewable energy is a crying need of the present world. Solar energy is one of the most popular and important sources of renewable energy. The geographical position and climatic conditions of Bangladesh are favorable for solar energy. The diurnal variation of solar irradiance is an important issue for all solar PV installations. In this research work, the solar irradiance at different tilting angles was measured during the sunshine hour. The daily data collection is carried out for a whole year from November 2018 to October 2019 and averaged for monthly solar insolation. The study also investigates the real-life performance of a number solar panels locally available at a selected location of SUST in outdoor conditions and correlates with solar irradiation data. For this purpose, eight PV modules were purchased that were made by few different companies. PV modules made of polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) and monocrystalline silicon (mono-Si) having two peak power (50W and 80/85W) were selected for this study. A yearly average solar irradiance is found to be 4.81 kWh/m2/day at a 25° tilting plane which implies that Sylhet has high potential for solar energy applications. In the case of performance evaluation of solar modules, two modules with a capacity of 50W and 80W having the highest power output are found to be made of polycrystalline Si and manufactured by the same company.

Published on October 25th, 2021 in Volume 3 Issue 1, Mechanical, Manufacturing & Industrial Engineering