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Heat Transfer and Alternative Energy Systems Group
Building Integrated Photovoltaic Program
Overview Roadmap Facilities Publications Personnel Contact Roof Photovoltaic Test Facility
Residential Roof Test Facility
Commercial Roof Test Facility
In order to accurately predict the annual energy production of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for any given geographical location, building orientation, and PV cell technology, computer simulation programs are needed that model the response of PV systems for a wide range of environmental conditions. The Building and Fire Research Laboratory (BFRL) is currently monitoring its Roof Photovoltaic Test Facility to provide the data needed to develop, improve, and validate these computer simulation programs.
Six residential (sloped roof) and three commercial (flat roof) photovoltaic roofing products are currently being monitored. The majority of these installed products are referred to as building integrated photovoltaics, as they provide both protection against the elements and produce electrical power. The electrical output of each photovoltaic product is measured every 5 seconds, with average values for these quantities being saved at five minute intervals. The characteristic current versus voltage (IV) curve is periodically swept throughout the day for each test specimen. In addition to the electrical performance of the photovoltaic roofing samples, measurements are made of the coincident ambient temperature, wind speed, and solar radiation incident upon the samples. Measurements of the diffuse and beam solar irradiance are also made at an adjacent meteorological station.
The nine PV roofing products being monitored fall within three general categories of photovoltaic cell technology – single crystalline, poly crystalline, and amorphous silicon – while embodying different manufacturing processes, materials, and design features. The combination of features makes each of the nine roofing products unique and well suited to capture the robustness of simulation models used to predict their electrical performance.
For further information contact:
Brian Dougherty
301-975-6396
bdougherty@nist.gov
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Last updated: 1/4/2008