Weather-Corrected Performance

Ratio
Timothy Dierauf and Aaron Growitz
SunPower Corporation

Sarah Kurtz
National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Jose Luis Becerra Cruz

Fichtner

Evan Riley
Black & Veatch

Clifford Hansen
Sandia National Laboratories

NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy

Efficiency & Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

Technical Report
NREL/TP-5200-57991
April 2013

Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308

 Weather-Corrected
Performance Ratio
Timothy Dierauf and Aaron Growitz
SunPower Corporation

Sarah Kurtz
National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Jose Luis Becerra Cruz

Fichtner

Evan Riley
Black & Veatch

Clifford Hansen
Sandia National Laboratories
Prepared under Task No. SS13.4510

NREL is a national laboratory of the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy

Efficiency & Renewable Energy, operated by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.

National Renewable Energy Laboratory Technical Report

15013 Denver West Parkway NREL/TP-5200-57991
Golden, Colorado 80401 April 2013
303-275-3000 • www.nrel.gov
Contract No. DE-AC36-08GO28308
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Executive Summary
Photovoltaic (PV) system performance depends on both the quality of the system and the
weather. One simple way to communicate the system performance is to use the performance
ratio (PR): the ratio of the electricity generated to the electricity that would have been generated
if the plant consistently converted sunlight to electricity at the level expected from the DC
nameplate rating. The annual system yield for flat-plate PV systems is estimated by the product
of the annual insolation in the plane of the array, the nameplate rating of the system, and the PR,
which provides an attractive way to estimate expected annual system yield. Unfortunately, the
PR is, again, a function of both the PV system efficiency and the weather. If the PR is measured
during the winter or during the summer, substantially different values may be obtained, making
this metric insufficient to use as the basis for a performance guarantee when precise confidence
intervals are required.

This technical report defines a way to modify the PR calculation to neutralize biases that may be
introduced by variations in the weather, while still reporting a PR that reflects the annual PR at
that site given the project design and the project weather file. This resulting weather-corrected
PR gives more consistent results throughout the year, enabling its use as a metric for
performance guarantees while still retaining the familiarity this metric brings to the industry and
the value of its use in predicting actual annual system yield. A testing protocol is also presented
to illustrate the use of this new metric with the intent of providing a reference starting point for
contractual content.

i
List of Acronyms
AC alternating current
DC direct current
EPC engineering, procurement, and construction
PAC provisional acceptance certificate
POA plane of array
PR performance ratio
PV photovoltaic
RTD resistance temperature detector
STC standard test conditions
TMY typical meteorological year

ii
Table of Contents
Introduction: The Performance Ratio ....................................................................................................... 1
Variability of PR with Weather ................................................................................................................... 2
Theoretical Approach ................................................................................................................................. 3
Average Annual Cell Temperature ............................................................................................................ 6
Calculated Cell Temperature...................................................................................................................... 7
Example Data ............................................................................................................................................... 7
Corrected Performance Ratio from Measured Data ............................................................................... 7
Corrected PR Test Protocol ....................................................................................................................... 9
Purpose ................................................................................................................................................... 9
Parties to the Test and Responsibilities .................................................................................................. 9
Requirements Before the Test .............................................................................................................. 10
Minimum Irradiance Criteria ................................................................................................................ 10
Instrumentation ..................................................................................................................................... 10
Proof of Performance ........................................................................................................................... 11
Calculation Method .............................................................................................................................. 11
1. Operating Cell Temperature ...................................................................................................... 11
2. Average PV Cell Temperature from the Project Weather File .................................................. 13
3. Calculate the Predicted PV Cell Temperature from Measured Meteorological Data ................ 13
4. Temperature-Corrected Theoretical DC Energy Generation ..................................................... 14
5. Determine Corrected Measured PR ........................................................................................... 15
6. Compare with Guaranteed Values ............................................................................................. 15
References ................................................................................................................................................. 16

iii
Introduction: The Performance Ratio
The performance ratio (PR) is defined in IEC 61724 [1] and is a metric commonly used to
measure solar photovoltaic (PV) plant performance for acceptance and operations testing. The
PR measures how effectively the plant converts sunlight collected by the PV panels into AC
energy delivered to the off-taker relative to what would be expected from the panel nameplate
rating. This metric quantifies the overall effect of losses due to: inverter inefficiency, wiring, cell
mismatch, elevated PV module temperature, reflection from the module front surface, soiling,
system down-time, shading, and component failures. Because many of these factors are
indicators of build quality, this metric is popular with some companies and financiers for
contractual acceptance testing. However, some of these factors are also weather dependent. Most
notably, weather affects the PR by affecting the module temperature. To many financiers, this is
an attractive feature of the metric because it helps to understand which locations will provide the
most productive plants. For example, a colder site will provide a higher PR, implying more
electricity generation if everything else is equal. Unfortunately, associated with this dependence
on the weather is a bias error in the metric that introduces unnecessary risk in contractual
acceptance testing. The PV system electrical output changes as weather varies; for example,
system output changes with temperature (typically ~ 0.5%/°C), irradiance (typically can vary by
as much as 5%–10%, especially for modules with high shunting or series resistance), and
spectrum (typically varies by up to ~3%, depending on the difference in responses of the
irradiance sensor and the PV module). As shown in Figure 1, the PR can swing radically over a
single day. The contract must specify a PR that is representative of the annualized performance
at the site, but the season of the measurement is seldom defined, leading to unnecessary risk for
both parties. Before proposing a method for reducing this risk, we give some background on PR.

PR values for new systems typically range from 0.6 to 0.9 [2-9]. A recent paper summarizing the
performance of ~ 100 German PV systems concluded that the cool climates in Germany helped
some systems approach, or even exceed, 0.9 [2]. The strong dependence of PR on temperature
results in a large seasonal variation in PR, which can be as large as ±10% [3-6, 9]. PR is often
corrected to a common temperature of 25°C (standard reporting conditions) [4, 5]. Correction to
a cell temperature of 25°C usually results in a higher PR because modules more frequently
operate at 45°C. Thus, while correction to 25°C essentially solves the problem of seasonal
variations, it may overstate the actual performance and thus does not allow the financier to assess
the effect of local climate on the expected performance. Therefore, correction to 25°C is not an
acceptable method for removing the seasonal variability in the PR metric because it would
change the PR value stated in the contract.

Given the goal of removing the seasonal variability of the PR metric without changing the PR
value that is stated in the contract, we assert that it is possible to define a site-dependent average
cell temperature to which the PR can be corrected. We will call this a “weather-corrected” PR
because it corrects for most of the weather-related effects. Although it would be useful to correct
the PR for every aspect of the weather, we propose here to correct only for weather variations
that affect the module temperature (ambient temperature, wind, and irradiance). We do not
attempt to correct for snow coverage, soiling, or irradiance variations that affect the PV
efficiency (with the assumption that a high-quality installation does not suffer greatly from shunt
and series resistance effects). While system tests could be corrected for snow or soiling, it is
unlikely that a contractor would choose to run the test while the system is covered with snow or

1
is heavily soiled. By using a semiconductor reference-cell sensor in the plane-of-the-array, the
seasonal spectral biases for the irradiance measurements are also minimized.

The purpose of this report is to 1) present the importance of using weather-corrected PR instead
of uncorrected PR as a binding performance metric, 2) propose a method for applying the
weather correction so as to remove the seasonal bias associated with variations in temperature,
and 3) define a sample test protocol that can be referenced for contractual content. The report
starts by quantifying the variability in PR that results from variation in temperature and by
showing how this variability causes risk to all parties of the test, but can be removed by defining
an annualized average temperature. Next, the report provides more detail about how the weather
correction is constructed so as to remove the seasonal variability without changing the
annualized PR and gives examples from plant acceptance testing around the world, showing how
using the weather-corrected PR reduces the variability in the reported PR value. Finally, the
report concludes by giving a step-by-step test protocol.

Variability of PR with Weather

105.00%

100.00%

95.00%

90.00%
Performance Ratio

85.00%

80.00%

75.00%

70.00%

65.00%

60.00%
4:48 7:12 9:36 12:00 14:24 16:48 19:12 21:36
Time

Figure 1. Performance ratio (PR) calculated from measured data over 15-minute periods from a 24-
megawatt (MW) facility.

The annual PR is not a stable function of the project weather file. The project weather file is the
annual weather file of record used to determine energy generation expectations and set
performance guarantees. The source may be a typical meteorological year (TMY) file or a
combination of any other sources. It is recommended that all parties to the project agree to the
data stored in the project weather file.

A project’s PR will change if a different weather file is used in the annual simulation — even
though the plant design is unchanged. Table 1 shows the effects on PR as a result of changing
either ambient temperature or wind.

2
 Table 1. Effects of Annual Ambient Temperature or Surface Wind on PR

Weather File PR Difference

Baseline weather file 84.9%
3° C Higher Annual Temperature 84.0% -0.9%
3 m/s Higher Annual Wind Speed 86.6% 1.7%
The modeling assumed single-axis tracking and a temperature coefficient
of -0.38%/°C, providing an example of how the PR may be expected to
vary with variable weather.

The lack of constancy of the PR as the weather file is varied is readily apparent. It is
recommended that practitioners repeat this exercise of changing weather files on their own
projects. The important recommendation is to have all parties to a project agree on a weather file
(based on either historical data or data measured specifically for the project) before establishing
PR guarantees.

Theoretical Approach
As described in the introduction, the PR varies with changes in meteorological conditions (and
thus throughout the year). Yet, the PR is an important metric to the industry. The goal of this
report is to mitigate risk caused by the inexact nature of the PR by defining a modified metric:
the weather-corrected PR.

To quantify this variability and show how it can be reduced or removed, we calculate PR using
two different methods: the method outlined in IEC 61724, and a new method that corrects PR for
site-dependent meteorological conditions. Simulations are presented for a facility located in the
southwest United States. Equation (1) shows how the PR is traditionally calculated. Equation (2)
shows the modifications to become a weather-corrected PR. The difference between the two is
that the weather-corrected PR contains a term to translate modeled power to the average
operating cell temperature. The operating cell temperature accounts for the effects of both the
ambient temperature and wind (as well as the heating from the sunshine). The use of a matched
reference cell to measure irradiance avoids the need to also correct for spectral variations. There
is no attempt made here to correct for other weather effects, such as snow losses, soiling losses,
or the effects of variable irradiance on efficiency. While corrections for these additional weather
effects could produce more consistent results, Equation (2) provides a simple way to account for
the primary effects.
∑𝑖 𝐸𝑁𝐴𝐶_𝑖
(1) 𝑃𝑅 = 𝐺
∑𝑖�𝑃𝑆𝑇𝐶 � 𝑃𝑂𝐴_𝑖 ��
𝐺𝑆𝑇𝐶

∑𝑖 𝐸𝑁𝐴𝐶_𝑖
(2) 𝑃𝑅𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑟 = 𝐺𝑃𝑂𝐴_𝑖 𝛿
∑𝑖�𝑃𝑆𝑇𝐶 � ��1− 100�𝑇𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑙_𝑡𝑦𝑝_𝑎𝑣𝑔 − 𝑇𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑙_𝑖 ���
𝐺𝑆𝑇𝐶

3
Where:

The summations are over a defined period of time (days, weeks, months, years)

PR = performance ratio (unitless)

PRcorr = corrected performance ratio (unitless)

ENAC = measured AC electrical generation (kW)

PSTC = summation of installed modules’ power rating from flash test data (kW)

GPOA = measured plane of array (POA) irradiance (kW/m2)

i = a given point in time

GSTC = irradiance at standard test conditions (STC) (1,000 W/m2)

Tcell = cell temperature computed from measured meteorological data (°C)

Tcell_typ_avg = average cell temperature computed from one year of weather data using the
project weather file (°C)

δ = temperature coefficient for power (%/°C, negative in sign) that corresponds to the
installed modules.

The motivation for amending the PR metric into a weather-corrected number is evident in Figure
2. This shows the uncorrected and corrected PR calculated from a simulation. (A simulation is
used because it represents an ideal system where all aspects that contribute to electrical
generation are controlled. This is required to show that a performance metric is not a consistent
value. The reader is encouraged to repeat this analysis.)

In this plot, the PR is calculated for each month in the year’s simulation. The blue markers are
the PR values calculated using Equation (1), and the red markers show the corrected PR for the
same time computed using Equation (2). Note that the uncorrected PR changes by 10% over the
year. This bias will result in false high values during the winter months (causing risk for the PV
customer because a poor-performing plant might falsely pass the test during this time) and false
low values during the summer months (causing risk for the PV installer). It is this instability in
the metric that is the motivation for a corrected PR. Without the weather correction, PR is not
consistent throughout the year.

Some have attempted to address this error by producing a table that states PR for each month.
However, this is still a biased metric if the month is unseasonably warm or cool — resulting in a
possible falsely high or low result. All parties to an agreement will carry weather risk during
testing periods that may result in a false pass or fail if uncorrected measurements are used.

4
 Performance Ratio
0.95

0.90

0.85

PR
0.80
Weather Corrected PR

0.75

0.70
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

* Annual PR is 0.84 for both situations.

Figure 2. Corrected and uncorrected PR from simulated results.

It is recommended to use the weather-corrected calculation and the mutually agreed-upon project
weather file if the PR is to be used for a contractual metric. This avoids the risk that the weather
would produce erroneously high or low readings. As can be observed, the corrected data are
more consistent through the year — a better choice for demonstrating contract guarantees.

To further demonstrate the variability of the PR, Figure 3 shows the hourly values of corrected
and uncorrected PR for the entire year (from the same simulation used in Figure 2). Note that the
extreme variance in the uncorrected PR values is drastically reduced with the weather correction.

5
 Figure 3. Corrected and uncorrected PR calculated for each hour of the year for the same
simulation described in Figure 2.

Average Annual Cell Temperature

The important parameter for the corrected PR is the annual average cell temperature. In Equation
(2) this is the variable “Tcell_typ_avg.” This value is carefully determined such that the annual PR
and annual weather-corrected PR are the same for this location. While the PR shows systematic
seasonal variations as shown in Figure 2 and Figure 3, the weather-corrected PR provides a
consistent assessment of the annual PR with very little seasonal variation if the “Tcell_typ_avg” is
chosen correctly.

The average annual cell temperature should be determined from the project weather file and the
simulated plane-of-array irradiance that is used to set the expected power generation. The project
weather file represents the nominal annual meteorological conditions hour by hour. As noted
above, when the “Tcell_typ_avg” is chosen correctly, the annual PR is the same number as the annual
weather-corrected PR. The “Tcell_typ_avg” is chosen by applying Equations (1) and (2) until the
annual PR and annual corrected PR are equal, or (equivalently) using the equations provided in
this report.

6
Calculated Cell Temperature
It is important that the computation method used to determine the average annual cell
temperature from the project weather file is also used to compute the operating cell temperature
during the PR test. It is very important to follow this requirement because it mathematically
assures a link between the PR calculated from measurements and the PR predicted by the project
weather file and the plant design parameters (loss factors). This linkage is broken if the cell
temperature is measured directly or determined by a different method.

It should also be noted as an aside that directly measuring the operating cell temperature may
hide design or construction issues that result in higher than expected operating temperatures —
and thus a false pass of a performance test using the weather-corrected PR.

Therefore, the solution is to compute cell temperature from the weather data. If the computation
is consistent for (a) the annual average cell temperature and (b) the current operating cell
temperature, then this approach will result in consistent values throughout the year. As stated, the
result is also tied back mathematically to the value calculated using the project weather data.
With this method, we have a consistent basis for the weather-corrected PR. The corrected PR
calculated from the field measurements is consistent with the performance guarantee.

Precise methods based on a Sandia [10] heat transfer model are used in this report for calculating
PV operating cell temperature. This method was previously validated [10], so is not validated
here, but it is noted that the coefficients used for this calculation may need to be chosen to match
the operation expected for the system being measured. This method may be replaced with a
different heat transfer model as long as identical methods are used to compute both the annual
average cell temperature (from the historical weather data) and the cell operating temperature
(from the measured weather data during the assessment period).

Example Data
Thus far, this report contains a theoretical presentation with some simulated data examples. A
logical question to ask is: does this method actually work? Real-world results are presented.

Corrected Performance Ratio from Measured Data

The plots shown in Figure 4 show the uncorrected (raw) and weather-corrected PR from a
Provisional Acceptance Certificate (PAC) used to confirm engineering, procurement, and
construction (EPC) project guarantees from around the world. Notice how the weather-corrected
PR provides stability to this volatile metric.

7
 4,700-kWp Facility

2,300-kWp Facility

1,300-kWp Facility

Figure 4. Weather-corrected PR compared with uncorrected PR during acceptance testing.

Figure 5 shows the daily PR for a 24-MW facility over a year. This is for day-to-day operation.
There is increased scatter because this data was not collected during a controlled performance
test. The weather-corrected PR significantly removes the seasonal bias. Actual operating issues
such as soiling or derated equipment are more apparent when considering the corrected PR.

8
 Uncorrected Performance Ratio Corrected Performance Ratio
10 per. Mov. Avg. (Uncorrected Performance Ratio) 10 per. Mov. Avg. (Corrected Performance Ratio)
100.0%

95.0%

90.0%

85.0%

80.0%

75.0%
0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Figure 5. PR (weather-corrected and uncorrected), annual trend, 24-MW facility.

Corrected PR Test Protocol

The remainder of this report presents a sample protocol for a weather-corrected PR
measurement. It is recommended that practitioners fully adopt the mathematical approach to
ensure fidelity in the final calculated PR. However, commercial terms can be adjusted as needed
for items such as number of sensors, minimum irradiance criteria, and treatment of measurement
uncertainty.

Purpose
The procedures below describe the calculation methodology used to determine the weather-
corrected PR for a plant acceptance test. The guiding principle is that the measurement and
computational approach provide a method that results in an accurate and consistent metric for
determining whether performance guarantees have been demonstrated. This metric must be
unbiased to test boundary conditions, and thus fair to all parties. The purpose is to measure
against an annual PR guarantee.

Note that the PR should not be used as a guarantee metric if the plant is designed such that the
inverter will clip during high irradiance. The PR will unfairly penalize results during these
periods. Similarly, grid unavailability or other circumstances may affect the fair application of
the metric, and the metric is not designed to cover reactive power requirements.

Parties to the Test and Responsibilities

Parties to the test are defined in the contract. They may be the owner, contractor, and an
independent engineer. All parties must agree to this protocol before test commencement.

The test will be executed by the contractor. All relevant raw test data, spreadsheets, and
computations shall be provided to all other parties to the test for their review. The contractor will
supply raw data before any manipulation and highlight any gaps in the data. The final test report
will be produced by the contractor in the timeline detailed in the contract.

9
During the test, any anomalies to this protocol will be documented. Resolutions to anomalies or
variations to this protocol that occur during the test period will be documented and approved by
all parties to the test in order to continue with the testing effort.

Requirements Before the Test

Before the test can commence, the following need to be completed:

1. Install and calibrate all primary measurement instruments.

2. A test procedure has been published and agreed to by all parties to the test.
Minimum Irradiance Criteria
The plant acceptance test period is five days long with the following minimum irradiance
criteria:

• At least three days must have irradiance measured in the plane of the array that is greater
than 600 W/m2 for three continuous hours, and the daily total irradiance must exceed
3,000 Wh/m2/day.
• If there are not five days that meet these minimum irradiance criteria, the test period may
be extended until five sufficient days have been recorded. There will not be any
liquidated damages triggered as a result of this weather-related test delay.
• If there are not five days that meet the minimum irradiance criteria, yet the corrected PR
of the five strongest days meet the contract guarantee, then the plant acceptance test will
be deemed a success.
Instrumentation
Data from the following instrumentation will be used to determine park performance:

• Power meter(s) at each delivery point as defined in the contract [kW].

• (2) Calibrated reference cells or reference modules to determine POA irradiance with a
target measurement uncertainty of 3%. Reference cell/module technology (poly, crystal,
or thin-film) should match installed panels, but other irradiance measuring devices may
be used if agreed to by all parties. Reference cells are recommended if this device will
also be used to trend long term performance [W/m2].
• (1) Anemometer to measure wind speed [m/s].
• (2) Ambient temperature measurements with an accuracy of ± 1°C.
Data from the following instrumentation will be collected for reference only:

• (1) Calibrated pyranometer to measure horizontal irradiance with a target measurement

uncertainty of ± 3%.
• (2) Type-T surface-mounted shielded thermocouple to measure module temperature
(with a measurement uncertainty of ± 1° C) or an equivalent resistance temperature
detector (RTD) device.
• Other backup meteorological measurements.

10
Data will be automatically collected using a combination of station and temporary loggers and
instruments with a scan rate of at least one minute. Manual data sheets will be used for any non-
functioning logger data channel if there will be no increase in test uncertainty.

All collected data will be averaged into 15-minute records, and each record will be used to
calculate performance results and evaluate contract guarantees. Calculation methods are
stipulated in this protocol.

Proof of Performance
The performance test will be deemed successful if the measured weather-corrected PR (PRcorr) is
greater than the guaranteed value (within the tolerance agreed to by the parties to the test in
advance of the test).

Calculation Method
Calculations involve the following major steps for every data record (or time interval) where the
irradiance is sufficient for inverter operation:

1. Present method to calculate operating cell temperature from ambient and meteorological
measurements.
2. Determine the average PV cell temperature for the solar park from the project weather
file simulation.
3. Calculate the predicted PV cell temperature from measured meteorological data for each
15-minute period.
4. Use the measured irradiance to calculate the theoretical temperature-corrected DC
energy.
5. Determine the measured weather-corrected PR.
6. Compare with guaranteed values.
1. Operating Cell Temperature
The following relations are used to calculate the module operating cell temperature from
meteorological data. This heat transfer model is derived from the Sandia National Laboratories
paper Photovoltaic Array Performance Model by King and Boyson [10]. There are other heat
transfer models that can be used to calculate the operating cell temperature from meteological
measurements. What is absolutely important is that the same heat transfer model is used to
calculate both the:

• average irradiance-weighted cell temperature from the project weather file [°C]
• predicted operating cell temperature.
These parameters are described below.

If not separately referenced, all engineering methods presented in this report were derived from
King and Boyson [10]. The calculation is done in two steps: (a) determine the module back
temperature, (b) determine the internal cell operating temperature.

11
Based on heat transfer theory and empirical data, the PV module back temperature can be
calculated with Equation (3).

(3) Tm = GPOA * {e(a+b*WS)} +Ta [°C]

Where:

Tm = module back-surface temperature [°C]

GPOA = POA irradiance from calibrated reference cells [W/m2]

Ta = ambient temperature [°C]

WS = the measured wind speed corrected to a measurement height of 10 meters [m/s]

a = empirical constant reflecting the increase of module temperature with sunlight

b = empirical constant reflecting the effect of wind speed on the module temperature
[s/m]

e = Euler's constant and the base for the natural logarithm.

The term within the brackets {} is an empirically determined conduction/convection heat transfer
coefficient and has units of [°C m2/kW]. The empirical coefficients presented in Table 2 are
recommended by King and Boyson [10].

Table 2. Empirical Convective Heat Transfer Coefficients

Module Type Mount a b ∆Tcnd (°C)

Glass/cell/glass Open rack -3.47 -0.0594 3
Glass/cell/glass Close-roof mount -2.98 -0.0471 1
Glass/cell/polymer sheet Open rack -3.56 -0.0750 3
Glass/cell/polymer sheet Insulated back -2.81 -0.0455 0
Polymer/thin-film/steel Open rack -3.58 -0.1130 3

If needed, the values for coefficients a, b, and ∆Tcnd may be recomputed for different project
designs if required data is available. The empirical method used to determine these coefficients
are described in Incropera and DeWitt [11].

Once the module-back temperature is determined, the cell operating temperature will be
calculated using Equation (4):

(4) Tcell = Tm + (GPOA/GSTC)* ∆Tcnd [°C]

Where:
Tcell = predicted operating cell temperature [°C]

12
 Tm = predicted module surface temperature as determined by Equation (3) [°C]

GPOA = POA irradiance, as described above [W/m2]

GSTC = reference irradiation for the correlation; constant at 1,000 [W/m2]

∆Tcnd = conduction temperature drop as presented in Table 2.

2. Average PV Cell Temperature from the Project Weather File

The project weather file (based on historical data or data measured specifically for the project) is
called out in the contract as the basis for the project guarantees. Also needed is the predicted
POA irradiance computed from this file. This information will be used to compute the average
simulated annual operating cell temperature. This is done by computing the operating cell
temperature using Equations (3) and (4) for every hour of the weather data. The next step is to
calculate the irradiance-weighted average cell temperature with Equation (5).

(5) Tcell_typ_avg = ∑ [GPOA_typ_j * Tcell_typ_j] / ∑ [GPOA_typ_j]

Where:

Tcell_typ_avg = average irradiance-weighted cell temperature from one year of weather data
using the project weather file [°C]

Tcell_typ_j = calculated cell operating temperature for each hour [°C]

GPOA_typ_j = POA irradiance for each hour determined from the project weather file and
tracker orientation [W/m2]. This irradiance is taken as zero if the sun is not up.

j = each hour of the year (8,760 hours total).

This resulting annual average cell temperature will be a constant for all further calculations.
Because this averaged value is irradiance weighted, hours with high irradiance have a larger
influence than hours with low irradiance. Hours with zero sun have zero impact.

Equation (5) is developed mathematically. It is this location-specific year-average cell

temperature that allows correction of the PR from measured data to that predicted when the
project weather file is used in a simulation to determine the guaranteed PR. It is this value that
allows the weather correction to work accurately.

One proof-of-concept test is to take the simulation and calculate the PR using the traditional
method, and then calculate with the weather-corrected method described in this procedure. The
values will be identical.

3. Calculate the Predicted PV Cell Temperature from Measured Meteorological

Data
During the test, we will need to compute the predicted cell temperature for the measured
meteorological data by using Equations (3) and (4). These equations are rewritten here for
clarity:

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 (6) Tm_i = GPOAi * {e(a+b*WSi)} + Ta_i [°C]

(7) Tcell_i = Tm_i + (GPOAi/GSTC)* 3[°C]

Where:

i = each 15-minute period of the test measurement period where measured irradiance
exceeds minimum criteria. Any change in this averaging period must be agreed to in
advance, since the choice of time period has a small effect on the calculated cell
temperature.

WSi = wind speed corrected to 10 m height for period i [m/s]

Tm_i = module back surface temperature for period i [°C]

Tcell_i = cell operating temperature for period i [°C].

4. Temperature-Corrected Theoretical DC Energy Generation

Temperature-corrected theoretical DC energy will be calculated with averaged values for each
15-minute data interval using Equation (8):

(8) ENDCi = (PSTC) * [GPOAi /GSTC] * [1 - δ(Tcell_typ_avg – Tcell_i)] * (TimeStepi)

Where:

i = defined above

ENDCi = temperature corrected theoretical DC energy over time step i [kWh]

PSTC = summation of nameplate ratings for all installed modules in given power blocks
during the acceptance test [kW]

GPOAi = POA irradiance averaged over time step i [W/m2]

GSTC = STC irradiance [1,000 W/m2]

δ = temperature coefficient of power (negative in sign) that corresponds to the installed

modules [1 / °C]

Tcell_typ_avg = average annual cell temperature for the project weather file calculated by
Equation (5)

Tcell_i = cell operating temperature for period i calculated with Equation (7) [°C]

TimeStepi = date/time interval for each data record i (15 minutes = 0.25 hour) [hr].

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5. Determine Corrected Measured PR
For the test period, the temperature-corrected PR is determined by summing up the measured AC
energy and the temperature-corrected theoretical DC energy over all eligible 15-minute periods
(i).

(9) PRcorr = ∑ [ENACi] / ∑ [ENDCi]

Where:

PRcorr = weather-corrected PR for the test period

ENACi = measured AC energy generation [kWh]

ENDCi = temperature-corrected theoretical DC energy [kWh].

Eligible periods are defined in the contract as well as in the “Test Requirements” section of this
document.

6. Compare with Guaranteed Values

The test will be deemed a success if the corrected PR is greater than or equal to the guaranteed
value with 95% tolerance (or the tolerance specified in the contract) due to uncertainty applied
— and if the availability guarantees have been met:

(10) PRcorr ≥ (ContractTolerance) * PRguar

Where:

ContractTolerance = tolerance to account for measurement uncertainty, as specified in

the contract (95% is recommended as a default value)

PRguar = guaranteed PR defined in the contract.

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References
[1] IEC 61724. "Photovoltaic system performance monitoring – Guidelines for measurement,
data exchange and analysis." 1998.

[2] N.H. Reich, et al. "Performance ratio revisited: is PR > 90% realistic?" Progress in
Photovoltaics: Research and Applications, 2012.

[3] B. Decker and U. Jahn. "Performance of 170 grid connected PV plants in Northern Germany‚
Analysis of yields and optimization potentials." Solar Energy, 59 (4-6), 1997; pp. 127–133.

[4] T. Ishii, T. Takashima, and K. Otani. "Long-term performance degradation of various kinds
of photovoltaic modules under moderate climatic conditions." Progress in Photovoltaics:
Research and Applications, 19 (2), 2011; pp. 170–179.

[5] T. Ishii, K. Otani, and T. Takashima. "Effects of solar spectrum and module temperature on
outdoor performance of photovoltaic modules in round-robin measurements in Japan." Progress
in Photovoltaics: Research and Applications, 19 (2), 2011; pp. 141–148.

[6] Y. Ueda, et al. "Performance Ratio and Yield Analysis of Grid Connected Clustered PV
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4th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion; pp. 2296–2299.

[7] W.G.J.H.M. van Sark, et al. "Review of PV performance ratio development." World
Renewable Energy Congress; 2012, Denver, CO.

[8] S.J. Ransome, J.H. Wohlgemuth, S. Poropat, and R. Morgan. "Can Grid Tied PV Systems Be
Characterised with Only Monthly Average Values of PR?" Proc. 19th PVSEC; 2004, Paris,
France; pp. 5BV-1-56.

[9] B. Marion, et al. "Performance Parameters for Grid-Connected PV Systems." Proc. 31st
Photovoltaic Specialists Conference; 2005, Lake Buena Vista, FL.

[10] D.L. King, W.E. Boyson, and J.A. Kratochvil. Photovoltaic Array Performance Model.
SAND2004-3535. Albuquerque, NM: Sandia National Laboratories, August 2004.

[11] F.P. Incropera and D.P. DeWitt. Fundamentals of Heat and Mass Transfer. 4th Edition.
New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1996; p. 347.

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