High-resolution modeling and multiscale experiment study of photovoltaic with reverse-biased cell

Photovoltaic (PV) is critical in the global energy transition. One significant obstacle to their efficiency and reliability is partial shading conditions (PSC). In-depth mechanistic understandings of PV electrical behavior are essential to predict and mitigate this issue. Yet, existing research has not adequately addressed this issue through experiment investigation and model development. This research endeavors to explore these concerns systematically, employing a multiscale approach that integrates both experimental and numerical techniques. At the cell level, a measurement platform is developed to characterize the solar cell current-voltage (I-V) behavior under different conditions (200–1200 W/m2, 20–60 °C). Measurement results reveal that irradiance always affects the cell I-V behavior, while temperature only affects the forward-biased cell. The in-depth analysis contributes to a novel numerical model with a full-range parameter extraction method, allowing an accurate I-V estimation from reverse-biased to forward-biased regions. Based on this, a field experiment is conducted at the module level under uniform irradiance conditions and PSCs. The results found shading causes a collapsed I-V curve in the PV module, leading to power loss and localized hot spots. Fully activated bypass diodes can mitigate this phenomenon but will generate staircase-shaped I-V curves. These findings promote a high-performance framework for accurate PV simulation without neglecting reverse-biased effects. Impressively, this framework maintains a maximum relative error below 6 % under various shading patterns. This multiscale research provides insights into realistic PV behaviors and power loss patterns. The proposed PV simulator encapsulates these insights, ensuring heightened accuracy and resolution.