Knowledge (XXG)

Nominal power (photovoltaic)

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1697: 348:(BOS) costs. Due to under-sizing of converters, AC ratings of solar plants are generally significantly lower than DC ratings, as much as 30%. This in turn increases the calculated yearly capacity factor of the plant. The downrating of peak power and the related clipping is different from the losses incurred in the conversion from DC to AC, which happen at any power level and are usually relatively small. 436: 220: 134: 1709: 383:). Some grid regulations may limit the AC output of a PV system to as little as 70% of its nominal DC peak power (Germany). Because of these two different metrics, international organizations need to reconvert official domestic figures from the above-mentioned countries back to the raw DC output in order to report coherent global PV-deployment in watt-peak. 497:
it belongs to), aging factor, soiling and DC to AC conversion. The power a module generates in real conditions can exceed the nominal power when the intensity of sunlight exceeds 1000 W/m (which corresponds roughly to midday in summer in, for example, Germany), or when sun irradiation close to 1000 W/m happens at lower temperatures.
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will generate. Losses, compared to performance in optimal conditions, will occur due to non-ideal alignment of the module in tilt and/or azimuth, higher temperature, module power mismatch (since panels in a system are connected in series the lowest performing module defines performance of the string
340:(AC) to be injected into the power grid. Since solar panels generate peak power only for few hours each day, and DC to AC converters are expensive, the converters are usually sized to be smaller than the peak DC power of the panels. This means that for some hours each day the peaks are " 198: 1.5), the temperature of the cells being 25 °C. The power is measured while varying the resistive load on the module between an open and closed circuit (between maximum and minimum resistance). The highest power thus measured is the 'nominal' power of the module in 91:
is generally not reached under actual radiation conditions. In practice, actual conditions will allow for approximately 15-20% lower generation due to the considerable heating of the solar cells. Moreover, in installations where electricity is converted to
529: 605: 675: 537: 616: 1602: 1279: 453: 237: 151: 652: 559: 1084: 667: 957: 190:(STC), specified in standards such as IEC 61215, IEC 61646 and UL 1703. Specifically, the light intensity is 1000 W/m, with a spectrum similar to 641: 1419: 108:(wasting) only a very small portion of the total energy production. The capacity of the power plant after DC-AC conversion is usually reported in W 1386: 1381: 715: 344:" and the extra energy is lost. This has very little impact on the total energy generated throughout a year, but saves considerable amount of 582: 1735: 1424: 368: 202:. This nominal power divided by the light power that falls on a given area of a photovoltaic device (area × 1000 W/m) defines its 1440: 792: 76:
under precisely defined conditions. The nominal power is important for designing an installation in order to correctly dimension its
1568: 1503: 1445: 942: 576: 475: 259: 173: 1573: 1336: 817: 372: 1587: 1094: 952: 833: 1538: 1064: 858: 807: 457: 241: 155: 1371: 313: 1658: 1638: 1018: 341: 308:), etc. For example, a photovoltaic installation may be described as having "one kilowatt-peak of power" ("P = 1 kW 105: 320:(and its symbol) should not be used to provide specific information about the conditions assumed for measuring a given 1548: 1023: 708: 376: 104:
power is reached only for a few hours each year, using a smaller inverter allows to save money on the inverter while
513: 280:= 1 kW. Colloquial English sometimes conflates the quantity power and its unit by using the non-standard label 1558: 1411: 1400: 1274: 1121: 1079: 1059: 446: 230: 144: 972: 947: 787: 1712: 1473: 1455: 1346: 1192: 1179: 1174: 1074: 100:, which is usually sized at a lower peak capacity than the solar system for economic reasons. Since the peak 1740: 1563: 1483: 1361: 1331: 1089: 1069: 998: 884: 879: 848: 843: 1745: 1701: 1543: 1513: 1478: 1465: 1351: 1126: 927: 917: 812: 701: 1518: 1508: 1488: 1341: 1164: 967: 770: 765: 203: 73: 1553: 1533: 1528: 1523: 1498: 1493: 1008: 937: 782: 750: 1207: 1187: 1154: 962: 898: 838: 797: 489: 93: 563: 1243: 1202: 1149: 922: 802: 651:. International Energy Agency — Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme. 30 March 2015. p. 11. 352: 96:, such as solar power plants, the actual total electricity generation capacity is limited by the 41: 1248: 418:-compliant but widely used. In California, for example, where the rated capacity is given in MW 1269: 1264: 1197: 993: 932: 863: 853: 572: 345: 337: 321: 492:
varies with the intensity of sunshine and other conditions. The more sun, the more power the
1326: 1294: 1284: 755: 69: 61: 1238: 1169: 1648: 1623: 1289: 1141: 1043: 1033: 1003: 760: 356: 333: 101: 81: 390:) is in fact DC or already converted into AC, it is sometimes explicitly denoted as MW 1729: 1310: 1233: 1223: 1136: 1028: 745: 724: 317: 31: 1678: 1633: 1366: 1038: 367:, as do most manufacturers and organizations of the photovoltaic industry, such as 53: 45: 1673: 1643: 1618: 1376: 1013: 988: 435: 219: 133: 77: 615:. EPIA - European Photovoltaic Industry Association. p. 15. Archived from 1159: 1131: 909: 49: 1450: 1356: 1228: 493: 289: 57: 1663: 1653: 1628: 422:, a downrating of 15 percent in the conversion from DC to AC is assumed. 380: 273: 191: 97: 17: 1668: 460: in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 244: in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 195: 158: in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 65: 206:, the ratio of the device's electrical output to the incident energy. 410:
is also often written as "MW (AC)", "MWac" or "MWAC". Just as for W
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In order to clarify whether the nominal power output (watt-peak, W
276:(symbol kW) is the most common unit for peak power, for example P 693: 199: 697: 429: 213: 127: 194:
hitting the Earth's surface at latitude 35°N in the summer (
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It is determined by measuring the 1425:List of photovoltaic power stations 369:Solar Energy Industries Association 1441:Rooftop photovoltaic power station 844:Polycrystalline silicon (multi-Si) 793:Third-generation photovoltaic cell 655:from the original on 7 April 2015. 25: 1446:Building-integrated photovoltaics 943:Carbon nanotubes in photovoltaics 849:Monocrystalline silicon (mono-Si) 642:"Snapshot of Global PV 1992-2014" 1707: 1696: 1695: 818:Polarizing organic photovoltaics 434: 359:power in watt-peak, denoted as W 218: 132: 953:Cadmium telluride photovoltaics 834:List of semiconductor materials 666:Gipe, Paul (20 November 2009). 588:from the original on 2021-06-04 514:Die Verwirrung um das Watt-Peak 445:needs additional citations for 426:Power output in real conditions 229:needs additional citations for 143:needs additional citations for 1065:Incremental conductance method 859:Copper indium gallium selenide 808:Thermodynamic efficiency limit 1: 1372:South African Solar Challenge 571:(8th ed.), p. 132, 314:International System of Units 1019:Photovoltaic mounting system 649:iea-pvps.org/index.php?id=32 1024:Maximum power point tracker 377:International Energy Agency 1762: 1736:Renewable energy economics 1275:Solar panels on spacecraft 1122:Solar-powered refrigerator 1080:Concentrated photovoltaics 1060:Perturb and observe method 839:Crystalline silicon (c-Si) 29: 1691: 973:Heterojunction solar cell 948:Dye-sensitized solar cell 788:Multi-junction solar cell 778:Nominal power (Watt-peak) 1456:Strasskirchen Solar Park 1347:American Solar Challenge 1193:Solar-powered flashlight 1180:Solar-powered calculator 1175:Solar cell phone charger 864:Amorphous silicon (a-Si) 328:Conversion from DC to AC 188:standard test conditions 124:Standard test conditions 1362:Frisian Solar Challenge 1332:List of solar car teams 1090:Space-based solar power 1070:Constant voltage method 999:Solar charge controller 885:Timeline of solar cells 880:Growth of photovoltaics 1352:Formula Sun Grand Prix 1184:Solar-powered fountain 1127:Solar air conditioning 928:Quantum dot solar cell 918:Nanocrystal solar cell 813:Sun-free photovoltaics 536:. 2011. Archived from 414:, these units are non 48:(PV) devices, such as 1342:World Solar Challenge 1165:Photovoltaic keyboard 1095:PV system performance 968:Perovskite solar cell 766:Solar cell efficiency 1612:Individual producers 1320:Solar vehicle racing 1009:Solar micro-inverter 938:Plasmonic solar cell 783:Thin-film solar cell 751:Photoelectric effect 490:photovoltaic systems 454:improve this article 312:"). However, in the 238:improve this article 152:improve this article 72:, while varying the 1208:Solar traffic light 1188:Solar-powered radio 1155:Solar-powered watch 963:Printed solar panel 798:Solar cell research 534:solar-is-future.com 1244:The Quiet Achiever 1203:Solar street light 1150:Solar-powered pump 923:Organic solar cell 803:Thermophotovoltaic 771:Quantum efficiency 353:nameplate capacity 42:nameplate capacity 1723: 1722: 1687: 1686: 1582: 1581: 1395: 1394: 1270:Mauro Solar Riser 1265:Electric aircraft 1198:Solar-powered fan 1103: 1102: 994:Balance of system 982:System components 933:Hybrid solar cell 893: 892: 854:Cadmium telluride 486: 485: 478: 406:. The converted W 346:balance of system 338:alternate current 322:physical quantity 270: 269: 262: 184: 183: 176: 16:(Redirected from 1753: 1711: 1710: 1699: 1698: 1593: 1434:Building-mounted 1412:PV power station 1408: 1337:Solar challenges 1327:Solar car racing 1295:Solar Challenger 1285:Gossamer Penguin 1112: 906: 756:Solar irradiance 736: 718: 711: 704: 695: 688: 687: 685: 683: 663: 657: 656: 646: 638: 632: 631: 629: 627: 621: 610: 602: 596: 595: 594: 593: 587: 570: 556: 550: 549: 547: 545: 526: 517: 511: 481: 474: 470: 467: 461: 438: 430: 363:, or sometimes W 265: 258: 254: 251: 245: 222: 214: 179: 172: 168: 165: 159: 136: 128: 62:electric current 21: 1761: 1760: 1756: 1755: 1754: 1752: 1751: 1750: 1726: 1725: 1724: 1719: 1683: 1607: 1578: 1460: 1429: 1402: 1391: 1315: 1304:Water transport 1299: 1253: 1239:Solar golf cart 1212: 1170:Solar road stud 1099: 1053:System concepts 1048: 977: 900: 889: 868: 822: 727: 722: 692: 691: 681: 679: 665: 664: 660: 644: 640: 639: 635: 625: 623: 622:on 25 June 2014 619: 608: 604: 603: 599: 591: 589: 585: 579: 568: 558: 557: 553: 543: 541: 540:on 12 June 2015 528: 527: 520: 512: 508: 503: 482: 471: 465: 462: 451: 439: 428: 421: 413: 409: 405: 401: 397: 393: 389: 366: 362: 330: 311: 307: 299: 287: 279: 266: 255: 249: 246: 235: 223: 212: 180: 169: 163: 160: 149: 137: 126: 119: 115: 112:as opposed to W 111: 35: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 1759: 1757: 1749: 1748: 1743: 1741:Units of power 1738: 1728: 1727: 1721: 1720: 1718: 1717: 1705: 1692: 1689: 1688: 1685: 1684: 1682: 1681: 1676: 1671: 1666: 1661: 1656: 1651: 1649:Solar Frontier 1646: 1641: 1636: 1631: 1626: 1624:Hanwha Q CELLS 1621: 1615: 1613: 1609: 1608: 1606: 1605: 1599: 1597: 1590: 1584: 1583: 1580: 1579: 1577: 1576: 1571: 1569:United Kingdom 1566: 1561: 1556: 1551: 1546: 1541: 1536: 1531: 1526: 1521: 1516: 1511: 1506: 1504:Czech Republic 1501: 1496: 1491: 1486: 1481: 1476: 1470: 1468: 1462: 1461: 1459: 1458: 1453: 1448: 1443: 1437: 1435: 1431: 1430: 1428: 1427: 1422: 1416: 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795: 790: 785: 780: 775: 774: 773: 763: 761:Solar constant 758: 753: 748: 742: 740: 733: 729: 728: 723: 721: 720: 713: 706: 698: 690: 689: 658: 633: 597: 577: 551: 518: 505: 504: 502: 499: 488:The output of 484: 483: 466:September 2021 442: 440: 433: 427: 424: 419: 411: 407: 403: 399: 395: 391: 387: 375:(EPIA) or the 364: 360: 334:direct current 329: 326: 309: 305: 297: 285: 277: 268: 267: 250:September 2021 226: 224: 217: 211: 208: 182: 181: 164:September 2021 140: 138: 131: 125: 122: 117: 113: 109: 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1758: 1747: 1746:Photovoltaics 1744: 1742: 1739: 1737: 1734: 1733: 1731: 1716: 1715: 1706: 1704: 1703: 1694: 1693: 1690: 1680: 1677: 1675: 1672: 1670: 1667: 1665: 1662: 1660: 1657: 1655: 1652: 1650: 1647: 1645: 1642: 1640: 1637: 1635: 1632: 1630: 1627: 1625: 1622: 1620: 1617: 1616: 1614: 1610: 1604: 1601: 1600: 1598: 1594: 1591: 1589: 1585: 1575: 1572: 1570: 1567: 1565: 1562: 1560: 1557: 1555: 1552: 1550: 1547: 1545: 1542: 1540: 1537: 1535: 1532: 1530: 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Retrieved 671: 661: 648: 636: 624:. Retrieved 617:the original 612: 600: 590:, retrieved 564: 554: 542:. 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Index

Watt peak
Nominal power
nameplate capacity
photovoltaic
solar cells
modules
systems
electric current
voltage
circuit
resistance
cabling
converters
AC
inverter
DC
clipping

verification
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sunlight
airmass
watts
efficiency

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