Multi-physics modelling of PV panels: A computational analysis of heat generation

In this work, a multi-physics model was developed to assess the performance of the photovoltaic (PV) panels. The proposed model combines an optical model with an electrical and thermal model. The optical model was developed based on the theory of Markov's chains to predict the part of light that was converted to electricity. It accounts for the wavelength dependence of optical properties of different material layers. The model is also able to predict the light converted to heat in the module. This last part is needed for thermal modeling of the panel. The electrical model is based on the classical one-diode model. The thermal model was proposed in a previous work and allows us to predict the thermal response of the PV panel throughout its thickness. The proposed multi-physics model was implemented on MATLAB software. Finally, electrical predictions at different operating temperatures are compared with manufacturers' data for two commercial PV panels. The Nominal Operating Cell Temperature (NOCT) was also predicted and compared with manufacturers' data.