The requirements for model accuracy and associated data depends on how model results are to be used.
The data needed for modeling the performance of a PV system depends on the goal of the modeling activity as well as the sophistication of the model application used.
Four specific and distinct modeling goals are addressed.
- Estimating Project Value – Such estimates form the basis of project proposals and are used to assess the expected revenue (power production) for a project.
- Comparing PV Technologies – In this application models are used to evaluate the pros and cons of different competing technologies (e.g., c-Si vs. CdTe or CIGS).
- Monitoring – Models are sometimes run with measured weather and results are compared with measured performance in order to detect degradation and component failures.
Summary of Data Needs – This page provides a summary of the data needs for running and validating a performance model.