Publication Date

12-2023

Date of Final Oral Examination (Defense)

September 2023

Type of Culminating Activity

Thesis

Degree Title

Master of Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering

Department Filter

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Department

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Supervisory Committee Chair

Eklas Hossain, Ph.D.

Supervisory Committee Member

Nader Rafla, Ph.D.

Supervisory Committee Member

Said Ahmed-Zaid, Ph.D.

Abstract

Worldwide adoption of photovoltaic (PV) cells, which use the photovoltaic effect to convert solar energy into electricity, has led to their emergence as a significant source of electricity production. As the number of PV installations continues to grow, understanding the impact of environmental factors on solar module performance becomes paramount.

Factors such as intermittency, cloud cover, shading, and nighttime unavailability significantly affect the efficiency and longevity of solar modules. However, there is a shortage of research connecting extreme weather conditions to overall module performance, hindering informed implementation decisions.

This study addresses the need for continuous monitoring of solar systems under various extreme conditions to evaluate their initial performance and optimize energy output. In order to achieve this, we conducted a hardware experiment where we tested solar cell performance under varying conditions; simultaneously, a MATLAB Simulink model was built and tested, and the results from hardware and software were compared. Both hardware and simulation experiments showed effective results that helped us to draw significant conclusions.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.18122/td.2154.boisestate

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