ISSN 0003-701X, Applied Solar Energy, 2009, Vol. 45, No. 4, pp. 242–247. © Allerton Press, Inc., 2009.

SOLAR POWER PLANTS

AND THEIR APPLICATION

Application Study of 500 W Photovoltaic (PV) System

in the UAE1
B. M. A. Mohandes, L. El-Chaar, and L. A. Lamont
Electrical Engineering Department Received Petroleum Institute, UAE
Received June 29, 2009

Abstract—The UAE is showing growing interest in alternative energy technology. However, before adaptation
of a new technology, it is necessary to carry out a field study concerning the technology’s suitability to local
circumstances. This paper presents the practical results regarding the effect of temperature, humidity and most
importantly dust on the performance of thin film photovoltaic technologies (Copper Indium Selenide (CIS)).

DOI: 10.3103/S0003701X09040057

1 One of the current hot areas of research worldwide,
and especially in the Middle East, is alternative energy.
Due to this region’s climate, solar energy, opposed to
other forms of renewable energy, is becoming a big
consideration for energy demands with the fluctuating
prices of oil and the future expectations of the lack of
fossil fuels. Many worldwide companies and scientific
institutions are investing a lot in this area of research to
provide renewable alternatives to the traditional energy
sources and the UAE is following this trend.
Electric energy systems have experienced dramatic
changes in the last 20 years. The variations on the
world’s main energy source—oil—caused severe dam-
ages for both oil-importing and exporting countries
including the GCC (Gulf Co-operative Council) coun-
tries. As a result, it is of great benefit for mankind to
support the development of new energy sources. This
also comes from the fact that oil has many more vital
uses than combustion for extraction of thermal energy
[1]. Adding to that, this application uses no more than
40% of potential energy stored in fuel. This particular
use of oil has also been the major factor in global cli-
matic changes caused by the toxics emitted in the pro-
cess [2]. The UAE government has showed a great
interest in environmental and scientific development
issues. However, the success of renewable energy in the
UAE is limited and is ever expanding. The UAE seems
a diligent contender in the pursuit of renewable energy
and is a forerunner due to the climatic and geographic
conditions in the UAE which offers greater amounts of
sunlight, averaging at about eight hours per day in win-
ter, while the summer figure reaches as high as eleven
hours a day and also due to its wide spaces which can
effortlessly accommodate huge solar panels. Forecasts
suggest that by 2050, up to half of the UAE’s required
energy will come from renewable sources. Solar
1 The article is published in the original.
energy, the cleanest source in environmental terms, is
likely to form a large percentage.
The problem however stems from the use of these
sources of energy in a climatic condition such as that of
the UAE which experiences continuous high tempera-
tures alongside the occasional strong wind resulting in
perpetual sandstorms, and as such these factors must be
fully investigated when realizing the full feasibility of
their use within a physically harsh surrounding.
Environmental problems associated with the burn-
ing of fossil fuel and the medium and its long term sup-
ply, particularly oil and gas, make the move toward
renewable energy economy both desirable and neces-
sary. It is now clear that the amount of carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere is increasing, and the changes in cli-
mate, both regionally and globally, are clearly measur-
able [3]. Therefore, a change in the way energy is pro-
duced and used is necessary to preserve the eco-spheres
on which human life is dependant. This clearly calls for
the use of renewable energy technologies.
In the UAE, solar energy seems to be the primary
renewable energy choice due to the high solar radiation
(2200 kWh/m2/year), in addition, to the fact that sun is
a reliable source of energy and predictable. Solar
energy technologies used to generate electricity are of
major interest to the country, however for this research,
photovoltaic (PV) technology is emphasized on. PV
technology is already technically mature and reliable
but there is still enormous scope for future develop-
ment. A PV module is composed of interconnected
photovoltaic cells that are encapsulated between
weather proof covering (usually glass) and black plate
(usually plastic laminate). These cells are connected
together in a configuration designed to deliver a useful
voltage and current at the output of terminals. There are
three main types of commercially available cells:
monocrystalline silicon cells, polycrystalline silicon
cells and thin film which includes amorphous Silicon

242
 APPLICATION STUDY OF 500 W PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) SYSTEM
Current voltage characterstics
4.0 Cell temperture: 25 deg
3.5
3.0
Module power, W
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
0 5 10 15 20
Module voltage, V
Fig. 1. I–V characteristics under variance irradiance.
(α-Si), copper indium diselenide (CIS), cadmium-tellu-
ride (CdTe), and gallium Arsenide (GaAs) [3], Mono
and Polycrystalline silicon modules are the most com-
monly used due to their higher efficiency comparing to
thin film. Massive solar energy plants have been estab-
lished in Spain, U.S. and in Germany with production
capacity of over 4 GW. CIS and CdTe are promising
alternatives despite their low efficiencies since they are
more resistant to the effect of shade and high tempera-
tures, and offer the promise of much lower production
costs [3]. PV module manufacturers have typically sup-
plied a module’s rating (power, open-circuit voltage,
short-circuit current, peak-power voltage and current)
at Standard Reporting Conditions (SRC) (also called
Standard Test Conditions or STC (1000 W/m2 Irradi-
ance, 25°C cell temperature, and AM 1.5 Spectrum)).
However, these conditions are rarely encountered in the
field. The power that a module produces at SRC is use-
ful for comparing the performance of modules under
fixed conditions, but is not particularly helpful in
describing how a module will perform under a range of
actual conditions. The study’s main concern is measur-
ing the effect of dust accumulation, high temperature
degrees and humidity on the efficiency of the CIS thin
film technology.
SOLAR CELL ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS
A solar cell is a device that converts light energy into
electrical energy in a phenomenon known as the Photo-
voltaic effect. When light shines on a semi conductor,
the electric field across the junction between 2 layers
causes electricity to flow through. The two most impor-
tant effects that must be allowed for are due to the vari-
able irradiance and temperature.
APPLIED SOLAR ENERGY Vol. 45
243
Current, A
I–V curve of the I–V curve of module
Without shadowing P1
1000 Wm–2 Cell shadows by 75%
1
I–V curve of a fully
Irradiated solar cell
1a 1
800 Wm–2
1b P2
Final I–V curve of module
With one cell shadowed by 75%
600 Wm–2
–20 –15 –10 –5 0 5 10 15 20
400 Wm–2 Voltage, V
Fig. 2. I–V curve of module with one cell shadowed by
75%, irradiance E = 407 W/m2, temperature T = 300 K [5].
200 Wm–2
25 Figure 1 shows the characteristics under different
levels of illumination. The light generated current is
proportional to the flux of photons [4]. Increasing the
irradiance causes an increase in the photon flux which
in turn generates higher current. Therefore, the short
circuit current is directly proportional to the irradiance,
hence, shading may be critical.
Minor shading can result in significant loss of
energy. When a cell is shaded, it ceases to generate
electricity rather, it acts as a high resistance and tends
to be reverse biased by other cells. One way of over-
coming this problem is to bypass the cells by diodes
which are usually placed across 10 to 15 cells. However
most of commercial modules do not include these
bypass diodes, thus more care is needed to ensure that
modules are not short circuited for long periods and that
part of the modules are not shaded.
The effect of wind borne particles from an arid envi-
ronment may be classified according to its lasting dis-
turbance, and therefore dealing with effects of distur-
bances with temporary (reversible) and permanent
(irreversible) nature. Temporary instabilities include
me forms of dust and/or sand depositions on the PV
array surface, which in turn reduces the sun’s impact on
the cells leading to unequal current distributions. These
will further continue to lower levels of power output.
Also, in some desert environments, the country experi-
ences scattered rainfalls which implies that instead of
periodic downpours of water, which may clean the PV
arrays off the dirt layers, these rainfalls result in a caked
surface clouding the surface of the PV array. This is of
course detrimental to the power produced by the PV
array as it covers the panel’s surface completely. The
following I–V curve shown in Fig. 2 takes into effect an
example of a module consisting of 36 mono-crystalline
cells (10 × 10 cm) with one cell being shadowed by
75% and the remaining cells being irradiated com-
pletely [5].
Permanent disturbances revolve around damages
incurred, such as heavy particles in the frequent sand
storms, which chip away the sensitive glass surface
No. 4 2009
244 MOHANDES et al.

Current voltage characterstics

4.0
Isolation: 1000 Wm–2
3.5 25 degrees
3.0
Module current, A

2.5 40 degrees

2.0 50 degrees
1.5
60 degrees
1.0
0.5 Fig. 4. Stand alone PV system understudy.

0 5 10 15
Module voltage, V
Fig. 3. I—V characteristics of PV module under varying
temperature.
leaving a jagged and inconsistent coating. As a result
when incident light rays strike the surface, they will
undergo internal reflection with the light scattering
within the surface. This loss will lower the efficiency
and may be corrected only if the panel as a whole is
replaced. No methods of cleaning or tilting will solve
the loss incurred.
PV systems deployed in desert areas in the gulf
region are subject to severe sandstorms and windblown
particles during most of their lifetimes. These particles
are easily picked up and carried by the wind even dur-
ing relatively calm periods [6]. In a number of applica-
tions, especially in dusty environments, it is required
for PV to remain free from airborne particle deposition.
It is expected that dust deposition reduces the power
generated by the solar devices in China [7]. The photo-
voltaic output power was found to be reduced by 50%
when a 3% dirt area was applied to a monocrystalline
PV module [8]. Other tests have also been conducted in
Riyadh City, and reduction in power has been noticed
[9]. [10] concluded that the most significant factor in
the degradation of module performance is power loss due
to dirt accumulation. The high concentration of airborne
dust particles and the large number of dust storms make
dust removal a critical component for PV systems [1].
Table 1. PV module electrical characteristics
Parameter
Maximum power, W
Tolerance, %
Maximum power voltage
Maximum power current
Open circuit voltage (Voc)
Short circuit current (Isc)
Max system voltage (Vdc)
20 25
In addition to dust particles, the UAE is character-
ized by high temperature and humidity, factors that also
may affect the performance of PV systems. Figure 3
shows the effect of temperature on the output power of
the PV module. As temperature increases, the open cir-
cuit decreases. Hence, the performance of PV technol-
ogy in a harsh environment similar to the UAE requires
more attention and testing prior to implementation in
real systems.
After highlighting the possible problem that PV
can encounter in hot temperatures and dusty environ-
ments, this paper aims to present the results of a test
bed study completed on a standalone 500W thin film
CIS PV system.
SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
The proposed 500W standalone PV system system
comprises 2 arrays, and each array has 5 PV modules
capable of producing approximately 50 Watts peak (Wp)
(Fig. 4). These modules are made up of CIS thin film
with a rated efficiency of 7% and 62.6 × 115.4 cm in
dimensions.
The system is roof mounted, oriented South-West
and tilted to a 30° angle close to the site latitude to max-
imize energy output. However, this system is designed
to enable research on varying tilting angles. Table 1
presents the electrical characteristics of each panel in
the 500 W system measured at room temperature with
solar insulation of 500 W/m2. Due to the variation in
these conditions, theoretically, the expected output
power is in the range of 60% of the rated power.
The panels are connected in series then parallel con-
figuration (Fig. 5) to obtain lower voltage and current
Rated value for human safety and availability of equipments' issues.
50 The above mentioned PV system configuration has
been implemented to conduct as testing to investigate
±10 the characteristics of such technology in the UAE under
16.8 different climate conditions.
3.0
25.2 CASE STUDY: 500 W STANDALONE PV
4.1 For the successful development of any solar radia-
600 tion-based application, detailed, long-term and thor-

APPLIED SOLAR ENERGY Vol. 45 No. 4 2009

 APPLICATION STUDY OF 500 W PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) SYSTEM 245

resents the averaged cell temperatures measured as

described above. Max P described the maximum power
achieved from that system at that specified time, under
global radiation (GHI), ambient temperature (T Amb)
Thermo and percentage relative humidity (Humidity).
couple Table 2 show low power values and that could be
due to several factors that will be highlighted in the next
section.

CASE STUDY: RESULTS

Fig. 5. PV series and parallel configurations.
ough understanding of the meteorology of the antici-
pated site is very important. Hence, in order to deploy
the CIS technology in the UAE prior to practical imple-
mentation it is advisable to study the variable electrical
panel outputs under a range of weather environments.
To measure the variation of current and voltage in the
system under different load conditions, a variable resis-
tor bank is applied. The measured values were
recorded, logged and plotted at different daily intervals.
Figure 6 shows a graphical sample of this data
which was documented for a 5 months duration.
In order to be able to analyze this data and draw a
conclusion of the system’s suitability for this region,
Hawk weather station, located in the vicinity of the PV
system for accuracy purposes, was set up to measure
the wind velocity and direction, the solar irradiance, the
ambient temperature, and the relative humidity. In addi-
tion, system’s temperature, by means of K-type ther-
mocouples were adhered at 8 different locations
(Fig. 4). A sample of the recording are shown in Table 2
where Voc and Isc are the systems open circuit voltage
and short circuit current respectively. T cell Meas. rep-
Determining the performance of a PV system not
only depends on it basic characteristics (Table 1) but in
the environment that they are placed (Table 2). This
system will measure the effect of dust accumulation,
high ambient temperature, humidity and solar irradia-
tion on its working effectiveness. For this reason the
system was left uncleaned for a short duration and mea-
surements were collated. 7 shows the effect of dust
which caused power reduction of about 10% in
5 weeks. This result questions the theory highlighted
previously [professional PV] which states that CIS thin
film technology is less sensitive to Dust. Moreover
maximum power reached by the cleaned panel is less
than expected (60% of rated power), hence more inves-
tigation is required, such as the effect of temperature
and relative humidity.
Humidity is an ambient parameter which refracts,
reflects and diffracts the direct visible solar radiation
[12]. This dispersion effect results in deterring the
reception of the direct component of solar radiation by
water vapor particles present in the atmosphere. Earlier
research has shown that high leakage currents gener-
ated in biased PV modules are functions of voltage tem-
perature and especially Relative Humidity (RH). These
can lead to electro-migration and degradation and thus
become important issues for reliability [13, 14]. As a
result, it is suggested that humidity is taken as an indi-
rect indicator for all weather factors together for use in
analysis of PV systems performance versus weather

7
Day 30 350
6 Day 30
300
5
Day 17 250
4 Day 17
200
I, A

P, W

3 Day 3 150
Clody Day 3
2 100 Clody
day
1 day
Day 18 50 Day 18

0 50 100 150 0 50 100 150

V, V V, V

Fig. 6. Sample of I–V and PV curves.

APPLIED SOLAR ENERGY Vol. 45 No. 4 2009

246 MOHANDES et al.

250
Clean

200 Dusty

150

P, W
100

50

0 20 40 60 80 100 120
Module voltage, V

Fig. 7. P–V characteristics of cleaned and dusty conditions.

350
H = 46
300  H = 35
300
250
250 H = 66
200 H = 41
200
P, W

P, W

150
150
100 100
50 50

0 10 20 0 50 100
V, V V, V

Fig. 8. P–V curves for varying humidity.

conditions. Due to its location, Abu Dhabi, UAE, is dis-
tinguished by its high humidity. Thus the effect of such
parameter on the efficiency of this test bed system is a
major component. Figure 8 show the I–V and P–V
curves at constant ambient temperature and solar irradi-
ance with varying relative humidity. These plots clearly
demonstrate the effect on the power reduction as
humidity increases. Although as a factor by itself, it
does not affect the performance much in our case, it
does, when combined with other factors especially
sandstorms (dust and wind) impact the output notice-
ably. During the night, temperatures are considerably
lower in this desert region, and therefore dew readily
forms on the solar array. This dew traps the slightest
dust particles that may be present in the air and during
the day when temperatures are much higher, the dew
evaporates leaving behind its residue, i.e. a dust layer.
This process is accelerated in an event of a sandstorm,
something which is common, and therefore the rate of
dust buildup increases. Over time, the dust layer

Table 2. PV system logged data

Date Time T cell GHI T Amb Max P GHI T Amb H
24.3.2009 10:30 111 5.20 34 215 7789 28 62
31.3.2009 10:30 123 5.90 31 269 812 23 41
23.3.2009 01:30 117 5.60 61 254 823 30 51

APPLIED SOLAR ENERGY Vol. 45 No. 4 2009

 APPLICATION STUDY OF 500 W PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV) SYSTEM
increase in thickness, thereby blocking the amount of
light the cells receive.
A 500 W standalone CIS thin film PV technology
was tested and its performance was observed to
decrease with time. All the factors except dust level
were controlled as much as possible during successive
measurements. The measurements show that dust accu-
mulation and humidity have a big impact on the sys-
tem’s performance. When speaking about days and
weeks, the decrease is gradual. But when it comes to
months and years, the decrease is dramatic.
The authors would like to thank PTL Solar for their
support in donating the PV panels for completing this
study. Also a special thanks to the Petroleum Institute
for their continuous support.
REFERENCES
1. Boyle, G., Renewable Energy Power for a Sustainable
Future, Oxford Press, 2004.
2. Sorensen, B., Renewable Energy, Its Physics, Engineering,
Environmental Impacts, Economics & Planning,
Elsevier, 2004.
3. Antony, F., Dürschner, C., and Remmers, K.A., Photo-
voltaics for Professionals, Solar Electric Systems Mar-
keting, Design and Installations, Earthscan, 2007.
4. Wenham, S.R., Green, M.A., Watt, M.E., and Corkish, R.,
Applied Photovoltaics, Earthscan, 2007.
5. Onnenken, V. and Ouasching, S., Photovoltaic Energy
Systems, Available from http://emsolar.eeturbe-
lin.de/lehre/english/pvl/.
6. Thornton, J.P., The Effect of Sandstorms on PV Arrays
and Components, Solar World Congress, Florida, 1992.
APPLIED SOLAR ENERGY Vol. 45 No. 4 2009
247
7. Gueynnard, C.A., Laulainen, N.S., Vaughan, J.K., and
Vingola, F.E., China’s Dust Effects Solar Resource in the
U.S. Case Study.
8. Kobayashi, S., Lino, T., Kobayashi, H., et al., Degrada-
tion of Output, Characteristics of a Small Photovoltaic
Module due to Dirt Spots, 27th Int. Telecommunication
Conf., 2005, pp. 435–439.
9. El-Shobokshy, M.S., Frequency of Cleaning the Surface
of Photovoltaic Cells in the Environment of Riyadh City,
Saudi Arabia Int. J. Ambient Eng., 1993, vol. 14, no. 4,
pp. 183–194.
10. Murphy, E.B. and Forman, S.E., Measuring Dirt on pho-
tovoltaic Modules, Proc. 24th National Symp. and Exhi-
bition, San Francisco, 1979, pp. 717–727.
11. Bock, J.P., Robinson, J.R., Sharma, R., et al., An Effi-
cient Power Management Approach for Self–Cleaning
Solar Panels with Integrated Electrodynamics Screens,
Proc. ESA Annual Meeting on Electrostatics, Minneapo-
lis, 2008.
12. Gwandu, U.B.A.L. and Creasy, D.J., Humidity: a Factor
in the Appropriate Positioning of a Photovoltaic Power
Station, World Renewable Energy Congress no. 3, Read-
ing, 1995, vol. 6, no. 3 (7 ref.), pp. 313–316.
13. Watt, M.E., Oliphant, Outhred, M., MacGill, H., and
Spooner, T., Analyses of Photovoltaic System Output,
Temperature, Electricity Loads and National Electricity
Market Prices, Melbourne, 2003.
14. Haeberlin, H. and Graf, J.D., Gradual Reduction of PV
Generator Yield due to Pollution, 2nd World Conf. on
Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conversion, Vienna, 1998.
15. Berman, D., Faiman, D., and Yehia, I., Implementing and
Field Testing a Solar Photovoltaic System at a Palestin-
ian Village, Report to Greenstar Foundation, 1999.