Thesis (MSc) - Cyprus International University. Institute of Graduate Studies and Research Electrical - Electronic Engineering

Solar energy represents an indispensable alternative in light of the ecological crisis brought by climate change. The opportunities it brings for the transition to renewable energy sources are promising for generations to come. PV modules are the key element in converting solar energy into electrical energy. However, this conversion is mostly challenged by variations in environmental factors, which affect the performance of the PV module. Furthermore, the performance of a PV module depends on the location, the solar irradiance that arrives on the module, temperature, humidity, etc. Among the factors mentioned, solar irradiation is the most important factor that affects the output power of the PV module. The solar irradiation that hits the surface of the solar PV module can be deviated by moving clouds, dust, dirt, etc. In this thesis, the investigation of the effect of environmental factors such as temperature and solar irradiation on solar photovoltaic systems was conducted. The study is divided into two main points: i. a comprehensive simulation of different PV array configurations under partial shading; and ii. the performance analysis of a 3 MWp grid-connected solar PV plant located in Bafra Iskele, Northern Cyprus, over two years (2020–2021) of monitoring. Firstly, the performance evaluation of S, S-P, B-L, and TCT configurations was simulated using a 10×6 solar PV array in MATLAB/Simulink. It found that the output power of the series-parallel configuration is reduced by 54.6% compared to S, B-L, and TCT configurations when the irradiation is reduced by 50% from STC under a defined shading pattern. Additionally, these configurations have been compared in terms of fill factor, mismatch losses, and efficiency. Secondly, the performance of a 3 MWp solar photovoltaic power plant was analysed based on daily, monthly, and annual metrics like energy yields, performance ratio (PR), system efficiency, and capacity factor (CF) based on the IEC 61724 Standard. The finding revealed that seasonal fluctuation greatly impacts the PV power plant, with higher energy yields and capacity factors during the summer months. The annual daily reference yield was 14.4 h/day, and the annual daily final yield was 8.8 h/day. The annual monthly average capacity factor was 36%, and the annual monthly average performance ratio was 92%. Furthermore, the plant's performance is compared with different solar photovoltaic power plants installed in different locations worldwide, it is found that the solar photovoltaic plant under study shows a greater performance.