1

Analytical identification of PV panels

characteristics using a LabVI EW program
Victoria F. POLEC, Leontin S. CARAFA, Horia Gh. BELEIU
Technical University of Cluj - Napoca
Str. Memorandumului, nr. 28, RO - 400114, Cluj-Napoca

Abstract This paper presents the first results of an analytical
approximation tool useful to numerically identify the
characteristics of a PV panel. The performance of the PV
panels is influenced by the solar irradiance, temperature,
dirt/shading, panel configuration and also by the load.
Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques are used
in order to optimize the power from the panel output that
depends on the presented environmental parameters. The
analytical identification method can be used in an indirect
tracking algorithm. In order to obtain the analytical expression
of the PV characteristics it was implemented a program, in
LabVIEW, for the optimal analytical identification of the
dependencies known graphically or tabular. This program has
applicability in many domains of knowledge, where the
experimental dependencies do not have an analytical
expression. The experimental results are presented in order to
confirm the validity of the method. Knowledge of the PV panel
characteristics is prerequisite for designing and dimensioning
of a PV power supply.

Keywords analytical identification, characteristics,
computational program, maximum power point, PV panels.
I. INTRODUCTION

Electricity production by renewable energy sources is
actually used in many countries worldwide. The energy
produced by photovoltaic (PV) panels seems to be one of
the most important renewable energy resources in the near
future, because it is clean, pollution free and inexhaustible.
Nowadays, despite of the known advantages, the installation
costs are still high and the PV panels still have relatively
low conversion efficiency.
The performance of a photovoltaic (PV) panel is affected
by solar irradiation, temperature, shading and inclusively
panel configuration. The main objective in PV systems
design is that the operating point of the load to coincide with
the maximum developed power point. The impossibility of
creating constant temperature conditions and natural
illumination has lead to the necessity of designing some
systems which determine, at any point, the maximum
transfer point from the solar cells.
Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques are
used in the PV systems to optimize the power from the panel
output that depends on solar isolation, cell temperature and
loads levels. Many different techniques have been proposed
and implemented to various degrees of success
MPPT techniques can be categorized as either a direct or
an indirect method. Direct methods are independent of prior
knowledge of PV panel characteristics. The MPPT
techniques included in this category are perturb-and-
observe, incremental conductance and hill climbing. Indirect
methods require prior knowledge of PV panel
characteristics. These methods are typically based on
mathematical relationships obtained from empirical data.
The MPPT techniques in this category include look-up table,
open-circuit voltage and short circuit current. [6]
The analytically identification method can be used in an
indirect MPPT algorithm. In general, a PV panel is working
being interconnected with a DC-DC whose duty cycle is
modulated in order to track the instantaneous maximum
power point (MPP) of the PV panel.

II. PV equivalent circuit and characteristics

A. PV equivalent circuit

Mathematical descriptions of the I-V characteristics of the
PV cells are available since many years and are derived
from the physics of the p-n semiconductor junction. A
crystalline solar cell is, in principle, a large area silicon
diode [2].
The simplest equivalent circuit of a PV cell (figure 1) is a
current source whose intensity is proportional to the incident
radiation, in parallel with a diode and a shunt resistance.
This resistance represents the leakage current to the ground.
The internal losses due to current flow and the connection
between cells are modeled as a small series resistance R
s
.


Fig. 1. Equivalent circuit diagram of PV cell (single diode model).
The I-V characteristic is described by equation (1), which
shows the current I
L
of the cell as a function of the external
voltage V
L
:

2

,
R
R I V
) e ( I I I
SH
S L L T K
) R I V ( q
o ph L
S L L
+
=

+
1 (1)
where:

I
L
is the cell current (A);
I
ph
is the light generated current - photocurrent (A);
I
o
is he diode saturation current (A);
q is the charge of electron (C);
K is the Boltzmann constant (j/K);
T is the cell temperature (K);
R
S
, R
SH
are cell series and shunt resistance ();
V
L
is the cell output voltage (V).
The analytical form expressed by relation (1) is not easily
manageable being nonlinear and implicit. A large number of
more or less complex methods can be found in literature to
extract data from data measurements or data sheets the
unknown parameters of the models. These methods mainly
consist in:
- numerical algorithms requiring powerful
mathematical tools and iterative routines to solve the
implicit nonlinear equation associated with the
photovoltaic device;
- analytical methods, introducing a series of
simplifications and approximation and leading to
simpler solutions with an acceptable accuracy.

This paper purpose is to analytically identify the
characteristics of the PV panels, by taking into account
different environmental parameters changes.

B. PV panels parameters and characteristics

The basic elements of the PV panels are the PV cells. A
typical PV panel is composed of series-parallel connected
cells, until the desired current and voltage levels are
achieved. [1] The PV cells are connected in series in, order
to increase the voltage values at the terminals, resulting a
module. Than, the modules are associated either in series, in
order to increase the voltage values, either in parallel, in
order to increase the circuit current.
In order to inform users about their products, the PV
panels manufactures provide the electrical characteristics of
the PV modules:
- Output characteristics current-voltage: I-V curve;
- Output characteristic power-voltage: P-V curve;
- Short circuit current: I
sc
;
- Open circuit voltage: V
oc
;
- Maximum estimated power: P
MPP
;
- Voltage at maximum power V
MPP
;
- Current at maximum current: I
MPP
.
These values are usually given at the standard conditions
(STC, Standard Test Conditions) and which they are:
- Irradiance: 1000 W/m
2
;
- Solar cells temperature: 25
0
C;
- Air mass: AM 1.5 global.

The PV cell/panel is necessary to operate at its MPP
(P
MPP
,V
MPP
,I
MPP
). On the P-V curve there is a unique point
on the curve when the solar cell will generate maximum
power.
The MPP is defined as the point where .
dV
dP
MPP MPP
I , V
0 = If
0 >
dV
dP
the operation point is on the left and if 0 <
dV
dP
the
operation point is on the right.

III. Factors that influence the performance of the PV
panels

For the analysis of the PV panels it must be take into
account the fact that the light reaches the cells surface in
variable quantities, that the cells is exposed to one
significant temperature variation during his functioning, the
solar panels have different sizes and also that at their
outputs are connected loads and consumers which have
different powers. If this these parameters, that influence the
cells functioning, could be separated then the data related to
the photovoltaic domain would be more accessible and
would also facilitate the individual study of the effects of
each parameter on the cell.

A. Light influence on solar cells

The voltage at the solar cell terminals varies insignificant
in relation with the irradiance, the exception being the initial
moment of light application. The output current of a solar
cell is directly proportional to the irradiance.

Fig.2. Influence of the ambient irradiation on the cell characteristics.

Figure 2 show that the open circuit voltage increases
logarithmically with the irradiation, while the short circuit
current is a linear function of this one.

B. Temperature influence on solar cells.

Cells voltage is inversely proportional with its
temperature, namely a temperature increase determines a
proportional decrease of the voltage. The current of the solar
cell remains approximately constant despite of the
temperature modifications. Taking into account that the
power results as a product between the voltage and the
current, it can be easily deduced that the output power of the
solar cell increases with the decrease of the temperature.
3


Fig. 3. Influence of the cell temperature on the cell characteristics.

The influence of the cell temperature on the volt-ampere
characteristics is illustrated in figure 3. The dominant effect
with increasing cells temperature is the linear decrease of
the open circuit voltage, the cell being thus less efficient.
The short circuit current slightly increases with cell
temperature.

C. Influence of the solar cells disposal

For practical use, PV cells can be electrical connected in
two different ways: series or parallel.

Fig. 4. Series connection of identical cells.


Fig. 5. Parallel connection of identical cells.

From figure 4 it can be observed that volt-ampere
characteristic, when the cells are connected in series, can be
determined by adding, for each current, the different
voltages of the individual cells. On the other hand, for the
parallel connected cells the currents of the individual cells
must be added at each voltage in order to determine the
overall volt-ampere curve.

D. Surface influence on solar cells

If two cells having different areas are considered it can
be noticed that in the case of an open circuit, the cells area
has no effect on the output voltage, and in the case of an
short-circuit the current is increasing directly proportional
with the cells area. We can conclude that the power
supplied by the cell is directly proportional with its area.

E. Load influence on solar cell

The dependency between the voltage and the current of a
cell as the load changes is presented in figure 6.

Fig. 6. Typical current voltage curve.

If at the cells output isnt connected any load, the cells
voltage is around 0.6, and the current is null. As the load
resistance varies from infinite to zero, it can be observed a
current increase simultaneous with a voltage decrease. The
solar cell behavior is approximately the same of a current
source, constantly on the entire I-V curve. As the load
resistance increase a point of inflection is reached, and at
this point the cell can no longer maintain the constant
current and the curve rapidly falls to zero.
If we consider the dependency between the supplied
power and the voltage, the resulting curve will reach the
maximum value in only one point, which corresponds to one
single value of the load resistance (figure 7).

Fig. 7. Typical power voltage curve.

The MPP is determined by overlapping the two curves,
namely the I-V characteristic and the P-V characteristic.

Fig. 8. Optimum operating point for one solar cell.
IV. OPTIMAL IDENTIFICATION PROGRAM

A. LabVIEW program

The large number of available elementary functions, as
well as the combinations of points that can be taken into
account in order to determine their parameters, lead to the
need of developing a computation program, which will
realize the identification of the requested dependence by
scanning all possible variants.
The idea of an overall program, to identify a minimum
error function and express it by a single function across the
entire variation range of the independent variable,
concretized in LabVIEW, appreciated for its offered
facilities in the engineering research domain . The
developing of some applications for the optimal
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identification is useful both in the domains in which they
interfere, but also for the verification and development of
the facilities which are provided by this original program.

TABLE I. IMPLEMENTED ELEMENTARY FUNCTIONS
Elementry
function
Canonic form
R R : f , { } R f ,..., b , a e
P1 function 0 = + = a ; b ax ) x ( f

Mean square deviation
Least squares mhetod
P2 function
0
2
= + + = a ; c bx ax ) x ( f

P3 function
0
2 3
= + + + = a ; d cx bx ax ) x ( f

P4 function
0
2 3 4
= + + + + = a ; e dx cx bx ax ) x ( f

P5 function
0
2 3 4 5
= + + + + + = a ; f ex dx cx bx ax ) x ( f
Exponential
function
0 = = a ; e a ) x ( f
bx

Logharitmic
function
0 1 > = = a , a ; bx log ) x ( f
a

Power function
0 = = a ; x a ) x ( f
b

Hyperbolic
function
0
1
= + = x , b ;
x
b a ) x ( f

Lagrange
interpolation
polynomial
[
= = =

=
n
i
n
i j , j j i
j
i n
x x
x x
y ) x ( L
1 0

T1 Function
0
90 0 = = = x , a ; ) x (cos a ) x ( f
b

T2 Function
0
90 0 = = + = x , b ); x (cos b a ) x ( f

T3 Function
0 0
180 0 0 ; x , a ; ) x (sin a ) x ( f
b
= = =

T4 Function
0
90 0 = = + = x , a ; c ) x (cos a ) x ( f
b

T5 Function
0 0
180 0 0 ; x , a , c ) x (sin a ) x ( f
b
= = + =


From the mathematical point of view, it would be
desirable that the expressions of the identified functions to
be as simple as possible, the character of the function to
remain unchanged, meaning to maintain the monotony
intervals of the initial function and the deviations of the
identified function to be within the domain of an admitted
error.
Another condition taken into account is to have a single
function across the domain of definition, so identifications
as Spline functions type are not considered. There are also
situations where, for a certain experimentally function, more
than one optimal function are returned and which are
between the range of the admitted error. In such cases,
taking into account the necessities imposed by the practical
applications in which this function interfere, the user can opt
for different analytical expressions, that corresponds to the
specific needs of the considered application.
In order to introduce the input data in the program the
user dispose of two options: to upload the data from an
Excel file in which the known vales were previously noted,
or to insert them manually. To valid the choice that is made
the user need to select the Boolean button specific to that
option. Regardless of the chosen method, the input data will
then be available as two input vector, namely X and Y. [9]


Fig. 9. Flux diagram main stages of the identification program.

The number of initial points noted Np and the table with
their pairs of coordinates (x, y) represent the first inputs of
the program.
Another option available in the program is the one
called input data processing. This consists in giving the
input data, themselves, as elementary simple functions.

After completing these steps, the user has the possibility
of choosing the approximation method that he wants to use.
In this case, the selection operation is also made by using
Boolean Controls, which are functioning like ON-OFF
switches.
Since the conservation of the function character is as
important as the transition of the identified function as close
as possible to the considered points, it was decided that the
specification of the monotony intervals to be a necessary
complement to the initial data. The monotony of the
function will be determined automatically, in the program
by considering the input data from the X and Y arrays, and
then the results will be transferred in a String type array. For
verifying as accurate as possible the monotony compliance
condition, there will be defined a number of points for
diving each monotony intervals, followed by the
determination of the function values in this points and
comparison with the initial values.
As output data, for each implemented approximation
function, there are a number of indicators, namely: the graph
of the optimal identified function, its analytical expression,
the mean square deviation, and the relative one, and also the
difference between the initial values and the ones that were
determined.
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Taking into consideration that the functions are
identified for those M
k
characteristic points, the verification
of the rendering accuracy by calculating the error of
approximation, for the graphic or tabular, function is
mandatory. The algorithms used for functions
approximation will determine the optimal functions based
on the mean square deviation, for each approximation
function.
The mean square deviation is calculated using the
relation:

) N ( N
) Y Y (
MSD
p p
N
k
k calculated givenk
p
1
1
0
2

= , (2)
where Np is the number of initial points;
Y
givenk
- coordinates of the initial points;
Y
calculatedk
- ordinates of the identified function, at the
abscises x
k
, with k e{0, 1, ...N
p
}.
The mean is sensitive to extreme values, which make this
one to be bigger than the other means. This has the
advantage that it can be applied for null or negative values,
too (which by rising to square becomes positive).
The calculus of a mean value of the ordinates was
implemented in order to determine a relative deviation,
easier to appreciate, using the following relation:

, Y
N
Y
p
N
k
k
p
med

=
=
1
0
1
(3)
so the relative mean is calculated based on the relation:

%. ,
Y
MSD
RMSD
med
100 = (4)
The implementation of the approximation functions in
order to identify a function which is given graphic or tabular
it was achieved, generally, following the next steps:
- generation of coordinates combination, specific to each
iteration
Mk
Np
C ;
- indexing the input vectors with this coordinates for
accessing the corresponding values;
- computation of the coefficients needed to determine the
approximation function, in number of M
k
;
- determination of the value of the approximation
functions for the points that have been introduced by
the user, on the X vector, for each generated
combination;
- calculation of the mean square deviation to each
iteration and the comparison of this value with the
previous iteration value, in order to determine the
minimum mean square deviation;
- if the minimum square deviation was determined the
retention of the specific parameters for the elementary
function, on suitable iteration, is achieved;
- generation of the function which has the minimum
mean square deviation as the function that offers the
best approximation for the function given graphic or
tabular;
- displaying of the analytical expression for the
determined function; if the condition of the monotony
conservation was selected and if this condition isnt
respected the analytical expression would be replaced
with the following message The character of the
function isnt conserved ;
- displaying of the minimum mean square deviation
value;
- graphical displaying of the function obtained as being
the best approximation and of the initial points.
The way of conception is almost the same for all
implemented functions, the difference consisting only
on the construction mode for the subVI specific to each
function.

F. Analytical identification of the PV panel
characteristics

For this application we have considered a PV panel
produced by SHARP, type ND-U230C1, which is
compound from 60 cells connected in series. This panel has
the following parameters: P
MPP
230W; V
oc
37V; V
MPP

30.3 V; I
sc
8.24 A; I
MPP
7.6 A.
In figure 10 are presented the I-V and P-V curves, for
different levels of irradiance, for the considered PV panel.


Fig.10. Current, power vs. voltage characteristics.
All technical data and graphics are extracted from the
panel datasheet.
TABLE II. INPUT DATA
G=600 W/m
2

V 0 5 10 15 20 25 27,7 30 31,4 32,7 33,8 34,4 35
I 4,97 4,97 4,97 4,96 4,95 4,88 4,64 4,26 3,61 2,96 2,02 0,88 0,01
P 0 5 10 15 20 25 28,4 31 32,4 33,7 34,6 34,8 35
I 0,01 25,3 49,7 75,6 100 122 131 121 99,6 79,6 43 23 2,33
G=1000 W/m2
V 0 5 10 15 20 25 28,1 30,3 32,1 33,6 34,3 35,8 37
I 8,24 8,24 8,24 8,23 8,2 8,16 7,97 7,6 7,01 6,02 4,98 2,99 0,01
P 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 30,3 32,5 34,8 35,6 36,4 36,95
V 0,01 42 82,7 125 164 204 229 230 219 160 120 47,7 1

Table II shows the pairs of coordinates, I(V) and P(V) as
determined from the graph, for thirteen points comprising as
better as possible the domain of interest. By entering this
coordinates in the identification program and running it for
all implemented functions, were identified and showed the
best determinations, for each function, under the aspects of
errors, concentrated in Table III.
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TABLE III. THE OPTIMAL IDENTIFIED FUNCTIONS
Optimal identified approximation
function
RMSD, %
G=600 W/m
2

" I z "
1
=
027 0 10 176 1
88 460 38
, ) V (cos , Z
,
+ =



2,54 %
" P z "
1
=
052 0 957 99
55 5690
, ) V (cos , Z
,
+ =

0,42%
G=1000 W/m
2

" I z "
1
=
064 0 10 92 1
07 294 24
, ) V (cos , Z
,
+ =



0,86 %
" P z "
1
=
092 0 917 99
62 5652
, ) V (cos , Z
,
+ =
0,98 %


a1 a2

b1 b2
Fig. 6. Graphical representations of the identified functions and the initial
points: a1/a2 optimal functions for " G " 600 = ; b1/b2 optimal functions
for " G " 1000 = .
The approximation method presented in this paper would
require a priori knowledge of the I-V and P-V characteristics
curves of a given PV system for different levels of
irradiance. This type of curves can be also identified for
different values of temperature. It is also possible to identify
the curves of a specific cell and then to calculate the
theoretical set of values for a model system of series or
parallel connections of PV cells.

CONCLUSIONS
Implementation of a computer program, which allows the
analytical identification of the functions known graphically
or tabular, represents a necessity in many areas of human
knowledge.
The proposed analytical identification procedure can be
applied to any real case of PV cells and panels. This type of
identification is useful for system study, design and analysis
of different connections. The analytically identification
method can be also used in an indirect MPPT algorithm.
Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques are used
in the PV systems to optimize the power from the panel
output that depends on solar isolation, cell temperature and
loads levels.
Further development of the program will also involve the
analytical identification of the two variable functions, which
will allow predicting the PV panel behavior for a specified
range of irradiance or temperature.
REFERENCES
[1] H. Andrei, P. Andrei, T. Ivanovici, E. Diaconu, and F. Stan,
Mathematical solutions to approximate the PV panels characteristics
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Spadavechia, Parameters estimation for a model of photovoltaic
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Metrology, Lisbon, Portugal, September 6-11, 2009.
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Eng. Victoria F. Polec, PhD.c,
Graduated at the Technical University of Cluj Napoca, Electrical
Engineering Faculty, Department of Electrical Power Systems and
Management. After finishing the master studies, in 2009, she started the
PhD program at the same departement. Now she also works at Emerson
S.A., Business Unit EGS ATX France, in Cluj Napoca, as Quotation
Engineer.

Eng. Leontin S. Carafa, PhD.c,
Graduated at the University Stefan cel Mare from Suceava,
Mechanical Engineering Faculty, Department of Machines Construction
Technology in 2001. Since 2010 he is attends the PhD program from the
Technical University of Cluj Napoca, Electrical Engineering Faculty,
Department of Electrical Power Systems and Management. Now he also
works at ITER Organization, located in France, as a Systems Integration
Engineer.

Assis. Eng. Horia Gh. BELEIU, PhD,
Graduated at the Technical University of Cluj Napoca, Electrical
Engineering Faculty, Department of Electrical Power Systems and
Management. After finishing the university he started PhD studies in Power
Quality. Now he works at Technical University of Cluj Napoca as Assistent
to Departemt of Electrical Power Systems and Management.
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