Sensitivity of accuracy of various standard test condition correction procedures to the errors in temperature coefficients of c‐Si PV modules

The Standard Test Condition (STC) correction procedures are algorithms used for transforming the Photovoltaic (PV) module current‐voltage (I‐V) data measured at arbitrary conditions back to STC. The PV module Temperature Coefficients are used as inputs by various STC correction procedures and can significantly influence their accuracy. This paper presents the sensitivity analysis of accuracy of six STC correction procedures (IEC 60891‐Procedure 1, Procedure 2, Modified IEC 60891‐Procedure 1, IEC 60891‐Procedure 4 (Voltage Dependent Temperature Coefficient (VDTC) Procedure), Anderson Procedure, and Standard Irradiance and Desired Temperature Procedure) to the errors in the temperature coefficients of Pmax, Voc, and Isc. Experimentally measured as well as simulated I‐V curves of six multi c‐Si PV modules were used in this study. IEC 60891‐Procedure 4 (Voltage Dependent Temperature Coefficient) that uses a Voltage Dependent Temperature Coefficient which can be calculated using a single measured I‐V curve was found to be most robust against errors in the temperature coefficients. Sensitivity of accuracy of six different STC correction procedures, namely, IEC 60891‐Procedure 1, Procedure 2, Procedure 4 (VDTC), Modified IEC 60891‐Procedure 1, SIDT, and Anderson Procedures for errors in Temperature Coefficients (TC) of PV modules, was estimated. Experimental and Simulation I‐V data of six multi c‐Si modules were used. IEC 60891‐Procedure 4 (VDTC) was observed to be least sensitive for errors in all the TC, so it is recommended for STC correction even when high uncertainty in TC is suspected.