What is a Solar PV Module?

A single solar cell cannot provide required useful output. So to increase

output power level of a PV system, it is required to connect number of such
PV solar cells. A solar module is normally series connected sufficient
number of solar cells to provide required standard output voltage and
power. One solar module can be rated from 3 watts to 300 watts. The solar
modules or PV modules are commercially available basic building block of
a solar electric power generation system.
Actually a single solar PV cell generates very tiny amount that is around 0.1
watt to 2 watts. But it is not practical to use such low power unit as building
block of a system. So required number of such cells are combined together
to form a practical commercially available solar unit which is known as
solar module or PV module.
In a solar module the solar cells are connected in same fashion as the
battery cell units in a battery bank system. That means positive terminals of
one cell connected to negative terminal voltage of solar module is simple
sum of the voltage of individual cells connected in series in the module.

The normal output voltage of a solar cell is approximately 0.5 V hence if 6

such cells are connected in series then the output voltage of the cell would
be 0.5 × 6 = 3 Volt.

Ratings of Solar Module

The output from a solar module depends upon some conditions such as
ambient temperature and intensity of incidence light. Hence the rating of a
solar module must be specified under such conditions. It is standardized
practice to express rating of PV or solar module at 25oC temperature and
1000 w/m2 light radiation. The solar modules are rated with their output
open circuit voltage (Voc), short circuit current (Isc) and peak power (Wp).
That means these three parameters (Voc, Isc and Wp) can be delivered by a
solar module safely at 25oC and 1000 w/m2 solar radiations.
These conditions i.e. 25oC temperature and 1000 w/m2 solar radiations are
collectively called Standard Test Conditions.
The Standard Test Conditions may not be available at site where the solar
modules to be installed. This is because the solar radiations and
temperature vary with location and time.
V-I Characteristic of Solar Module
If we draw a graph by taking X-axis as voltage axis and Y-axis as currents
of a solar module, then the graph will represent V-I characteristic of a solar

module.
Short Circuit Current of PV Module
Under Standard Test Condition positive and negative terminal of a solar
module are short circuited, then the current delivered by the module is
short circuit current. Bigger value of this current indicates betterness of the
module.
Although under standard test condition, this current also depends upon the
area of the module exposed to the light. As it depends upon area, it is
better to express by short circuit current per unit area.
This is deneted as Jsc.

Hence, Where, A is the area of the module exposed to the

standard light radiation (1000w/m2). Short circuit current of a pv module
also depends upon solar cell manufacturing technology.
Open Circuit Voltage (Voc)
The voltage output of a solar module under standard test condition, when
the terminals of the modules are not connected with any load. This rating of
solar module mainly depends upon the technology used to manufacture
solar cells of the module. More Voc indicates betterness of the solar
module. This open circuit voltage of a solar module also depends upon
operating temperature.
Maximum Power Point
This is the maximum amount of power which can deliver by the module
Under Standard Test Conditions. For a fixed dimension of a module higher
the maximum power better the module. Maximum power also called peak
power and this is denoted as Wm or W p.
A solar module can be operated in any voltage and current combination
upto Voc and Isc.
But for a particular current and voltage combination under standard
conditions the output power is maximum. If we proceed through y-axis of
the V-I characteristic of a solar module, we will find the power output
increases nearly linearly with current but after a certain current power
output will fall down as it approaches to the short circuit current as at short
circuit condition the voltage is considered to be ideally zero across the
terminals of the solar module. So it is clear that maximum output power of a
solar module does not occur at maximum current i.e. short circuit current
instead it occurs at certain current which is less than short circuit current
(Isc). This current at which maximum output power occurs is denoted as Im.
Similarly maximum power of a solar cell does not occur at open circuit
voltage as it is open circuit condition and current through the cell is
considered to be ideally zero, at this condition. But similarly as previous
case, maximum power in a solar module occurs at a voltage lower than
open circuit voltage (Voc). The voltage at which maximum power output
occurs is denoted as Vm. The maximum power of a solar module is given
as The current and voltage at which maximum
power occurs are referred as, current and voltage at maximum power point
respectively.
Fill Factor of a Solar Module
Fill factor of a solar module is defined as the ratio of maximum power (Pm =
Vm x Im) to product of open circuit voltage (Voc) and short circuit current (Isc).

Higher the Fill Factor(FF), better is the solar module.

Efficiency of Solar Module
Efficiency of solar module is defined as the ratio of maximum power at
standard test condition, to the input power. Input power of a solar module is
solar radiation which is considered as 1000 w/m2. So, actual input power to
the cell is 1000A W. Where, A is the exposed area of the solar module.

Therefore, efficiency,
Number of Cells in Module
Number of cells in a module depends upon the standard voltage
requirement per module. In 1980’s solar modules were mainly
manufactured for charging 12 Volt batteries. But for charging a 12 Volt
battery it is required to have sufficiently higher output voltage of the module
than 12 Volt. It was standard practice to design a solar module with
maximum voltage rating (Vm) of 15 Volt. This module of 15 Volt becomes
standard module from those days.
The number of solar cells to be connected in series to achieve standard
voltage output depends upon the open-circuit voltage (Voc) of the individual
cells.
The Voc of a solar cell depends upon mainly its manufacturing techniques.
The table below shows the open-circuit voltage of different solar cells at
standard test conditions.
Open Circuit
Solar Cell Types
Voltage at STC
Mono Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell 0.55 to 0.68 V

Poly Crystalline Silicon Solar Cell 0.55 to 0.65 V

Amorphous Silicon Solar Cell 0.7 to 1.1 V

Cadmium Telluride Solar Cell 0.8 to 1.0 V

Copper Indium Gallium Selenide Solar Cell 0.5 to 0.7 V

Gallium Indium Phosphide/ Gallium Arsenide / Gallium Solar Cell 1 to 2.5 V

For a crystalline solar cell the open-circuit voltage, is about 0.5 V, as shown
in the table above. The voltage Voc is mentioned at 25oC but at the
temperature higher than 25oC the value of this voltage drops nearly by 0.08
V.
So at normal operating temperature the voltage available across the
terminals of each crystalline solar cell is Now, it is
standard to make a solar module which can give 15 V open-circuit voltage
at any condition. Hence, the required number of solar cells to construct

such solar module is, So, 36 numbers of crystalline

solar cells are required to build a standard solar module of 15 V.