ABSTRACT
The use of a photovoltaic system requires a perfect knowledge of its electrical production to estimate its economic profitability. This estimation can only be done by taking into account the shading effects, which have dramatic consequences on the delivered power. The shadows caused by near and far surroundings can have a significant influence on the productivity of the whole photovoltaic system. During the design of the system, it is essential to accurately identify the shading areas to determine the optimal size and configuration. The aim of this chapter is to analyse and study the effects of shading, as well as to simulate and compare the behavior of a photovoltaic (PV) panel under different shading rates. The results of this study showed that by increasing the shading rate the efficiency of the system can be nulled and the maximum power can be increased from 60W at 0% of shading rate to 0W at 100% of shading rate.
