Performance Assessment of Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline Solar Panel Types Used in Owerri, South Eastern Nigeria
Keywords:
monocrystalline, polycrystalline, silicon, solar-panelAbstract
A performance evaluation of monocrystalline and polycrystalline silicon solar panels was carried out in Owerri. They were installed and tested outdoors for a period of 28 days during both the rainy and dry seasons. Each panel was connected to a 12 V, 15 A charge controller and a 40 Ω load. Measurements including open-circuit voltage (VOC), short-circuit current (ISC), load voltage (VL), and load current (IL) were taken using a digital multimeter. The maximum power output (PM) and power delivered to the load (PL) were computed from these readings. The findings revealed that the monocrystalline panel exhibited higher VOC during the early morning and late afternoon hours, while the polycrystalline panel’s VOC increased steadily with rising solar irradiance across both seasons. The monocrystalline panel consistently generated more current than the polycrystalline counterpart. Both panels showed peak performance between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. during the rainy season, with the polycrystalline panel achieving a VOC of 17.70 V, ISC of 5.50 A, and PM of 96.80 W, and the monocrystalline panel recording a VOC of 17.94 V, ISC of 5.50 A, and PM of 94.24 W. However, during the dusty harmattan season, when sunlight levels were reduced, both panels experienced decreased performance. The monocrystalline panel reached a maximum power of 52.06 W, while the polycrystalline panel produced 50.95 W. Cloudy and rainy weather further impacted performance by causing significant drops in both voltage and current. The polycrystalline panel maintained a relatively stable voltage range of 16.06 to 17.98 V, whereas the voltage of the monocrystalline panel fluctuated between 15.01 and 17.99 V. The study concluded that although polycrystalline panels are more commonly used and generally more affordable, users may not be fully aware that they can also deliver slightly higher power output than monocrystalline panels under certain conditions.
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