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Grid‐connected amorphous silicon photovoltaic array
Author(s) -
Simmons Anton D.,
Infield David G.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
progress in photovoltaics: research and applications
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.286
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1099-159X
pISSN - 1062-7995
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1099-159x(199609/10)4:5<381::aid-pip143>3.0.co;2-b
Subject(s) - photovoltaic system , amorphous silicon , grid , silicon , materials science , electrical engineering , optoelectronics , computer science , engineering physics , electronic engineering , engineering , crystalline silicon , mathematics , geometry
A roof‐mounted photovoltaic (PV) array has been installed at Loughborough University in the UK. The array output is connected through a commercial grid‐connected inverter to the University supply network. The system was the third grid‐connected PV inst allation to be connected and generating in the UK. It is the first and only grid‐connected system using amorphous silicon thin‐film PV modules in the UK. The system is fully instrumented to support the research and development that CREST is conducting on grid‐connected PV systems, including: inverters; thin‐film amorphous silicon and the effects of shading on performance. The paper presented here describes the design, installation and commissioning of the system. Data from the first year of operation along with the results of a preliminary performance analysis are presented and discussed.