Energetic and exergetic analysis of monocrystalline and polycrystalline photovoltaic modules

In this paper, the concepts of energy and exergy are used to estimate and compare the performances of monocrystalline (m-Si) and polycrystalline (p-Si) silicon photovoltaics (PV) modules. The energetic efficiency is the ratio of the energy output of the module to the incident light energy (product of solar radiation and the area of incidence or area of the module). The exergetic efficiency is derived from the electrical parameters, the operating temperature of the modules, and the specific weather conditions. The electrical parameters of the modules were evaluated by adjusting module (nameplate) specifications to the climate variables obtained for the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The m-Si module (190W) had energetic and exergetic efficiencies around 20% and 14%, respectively. In comparison, the p-Si module (210W) had an expected lower energetic efficiency of approximately 18% and exergetic efficiency about 13%. The modeling and analysis conditions are described in detail.