Comparative Energy Performance Analysis of Six Primary Photovoltaic Technologies in Madrid (Spain)

There are a wealth of studies on photovoltaic cell technologies, however their performance in different climatic or geographies over an extended period is not completely established. The objective of this paper is to add to this area of study with an analysis of the principle photovoltaic technologies: monocrystalline silicon (mc-Si), polycrystalline silicon (pc-Si), tandem structure of amorphous silicon and microcrystalline silicon (a-Si/mu c-Si tandem), cadmium telluride/cadmium sulfide (CdTe/CdS), copper-indium diselenide (CIS) and monocrystalline silicon with double contact back technology (mc-dc-Si), in the climatic conditions particular to the middle latitude urban environment of Madrid (Spain). To carry out this study six photovoltaic subsystems of peak power 1 kWp approximately have been installed for each selected technology on the roof of the Escuela Tecnica Superior de Ingenieria y Diseno Industrial (ETSIDI) of the Universidad Politecnica de Madrid (UPM) in Spain. Each subsystem has an inverter of the same model and power for its connection to the internal electricity network of the university. This paper analyzes the energy performance of the six subsystems, calculating the reference production rates and losses, from February 2013 to December 2015. The result of the study is the extensive capture of data and detailed analysis of real time energy yields and performance ratios of key technologies resulting with patterns in line with those of other regions with comparable climatic conditions.