抄録
Flexible photovoltaic modules have received a great deal of attention for use in photovoltaic systems. At present, the most important issue to be resolved is the optimum shape of flexible photovoltaic modules for obtaining maximum power output. A design tool specifically tailored for the flexible photovoltaic module is required for this purpose. In the present study, a new method is proposed for estimating the power output of a cylindrically-shaped flexible photovoltaic module, taking into account the uneven irradiation and temperature that occurs for a curved surface. The average irradiation over the area of the entire module is used in the equation of the proposed method. The temperature is calculated based on the root mean square of the irradiation over the area of the entire module. The average and root mean square of the irradiation are calculated based on the directional dependence of the global horizontal irradiance. The estimated and measured power outputs are compared. The error rate of the total power output is 2.6%, and the mean absolute percentage error of the power output is 6.8%. The proposed method can reduce the amount of calculation to compare with a conventional method having the same mean absolute percentage error.
