Modeling of the nominal power of a PV generator under clear and cloudy sky conditions

Abstract

Knowing the real nominal power (Pm^*) is crucial for the correct evaluation under real operating conditions of a PV generator. For the Pm^* estimation, several authors have proposed different methods based on empirical models. Furthermore, the experimental data requires very restrictive meteorological conditions (clear sky days, wind speed below 5 m/s, etc.). In this sense, we propose a non-parametric statistical approach to estimate the Pm^* . The period of study was divided in two categories: (1) clear and (2) cloudy sky conditions. The results show that our statistical method allows to obtain the same Pm^* under both conditions. This was possible by applying a kernel density estimation to filter the outliers and the noise under cloudy conditions. The proposed method allows the estimation of the Pm^* even in cloudy days.