Analytical and Experimental Study of the Thermal Behavior of Photovoltaic Modules in a Semi‐Arid Environment

Abstract

ABSTRACT The operating temperature of photovoltaic (PV) modules plays a decisive role in their overall performance. To ensure reliable evaluation, an accurate estimation of this temperature is required. Against this background, the present study develops an analytical model capable of accurately predicting the thermal profile, both spatial and temporal, of PV modules while simplifying the process of estimating system parameters. The validity of the model is confirmed by comparison with experimental data and seven models from the literature. The results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed model, with the lowest prediction errors, as indicated by RMSEs ranging from 0.345°C to 1.215°C and MBEs between 0.333°C and 1.044°C. Additionally, the annual performance of a polycrystalline PV module was investigated in a semi‐arid environment. It was observed that, despite a lower irradiance (604.6 W/m²), the winter season offers the best efficiency (almost 15%), in contrast to the summer season, where efficiency drops to 12.98% despite a higher irradiance (634.17 W/m²). These results underline both the reliability of the proposed model and the major influence of climatic conditions on PV system performance.