Smoothing of Output Power Variation with Increasing PV Array Size

This article deals with the smoothing of photovoltaic (PV) output power variation with increasing PV array size. Our study was based on about 8000 measured irradiance transitions and was carried out utilizing a PV module simulation model and a mathematical irradiance transition model. The power variation of PV arrays decreased with the increasing array size. A two-term exponential curve fit was found to describe the smoothing of PV output power variation with the growing area and diagonal length of the array well. The smoothing of power variation with the increasing square root of the array area was nearly linear. For the array sizes of typical large PV plants, the average of the power rate of change over the course of irradiance transitions resulting from moving clouds was less than 3 %/s.