ABSTRACT
This laboratory will explore the behavior of a photovoltaic module under a variety of environmental conditions, as well as provide a strong foundation for its use in PV systems.
We introduce the concept of a current-voltage (I-V) characteristic, which specifies the current and voltage produced by a PV module as a function of the load resistance connected to it. We will discover how the I-V characteristic varies as a function of the sun’s irradiance striking it and also as a function of the temperature of the cells which comprise the PV module. We will discover that at a given irradiance and temperature, there is a maximum power that can be delivered by a PV module to a unique load resistance.
