Ultraviolet radiation as a stress factor for the PV-modules — Global approach

Could we use the satellite-derived ultraviolet (UV) irradiation data for the global mapping of the UV stress condition for the photovoltaic (PV) modules and their components? As a part of the research on the global stress factor classification for the development of climate specifically testing standards the different UV irradiance data sources have been compared. First the comparison between ground-based measurements from spectroradiometer and integral UV sensors and their dependence from global irradiance has been analyzed by taking into account the local and seasonal impact. On average the UV radiation from integral and also from spectral measurements for own locations (Zugspitze in German Alp and Gran Canaria in Spain) is between 4.14 and 5.35% and is in accordance with other authors [1]. Furthermore the spectral ground-based measurements have been used for the comparison of spectral UV irradiance (at 305, 310, 324 and 380 nm) from Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) from Zugspitze and Gran Canaria. The OMI data shows good correlation with the measurements in Gran Canaria. At the second location, Zugspitze there are considerable differences between the two measurements because of the small spatial resolution of OMI data, high altitude and snow cover, which are negatively affecting the results.