Comparison of Fill Factor for Three Different Types of PV-Modules Under Changing Weather Conditions

Three different, commercially available photovoltaic modules are being continuously monitored in the southern town of Grimstad, Norway, in a real life environment. The present paper first describes the experimental methods used, and then reports the results from the summer of 2004. The emphasis is on studying variations in the Fill Factors, and their relationships with variations in the performance (efficiency) of the monocrystalline, the multicrystalline, and the amorphous module. Although the latter has the lowest overall efficiency, it also has the most constant Fill Factor, which could be an advantage in environments where partial shading can be expected.