Energies, Vol. 19, Pages 1437: Traceable Time-Domain Photovoltaic Module Modeling with Plane-of-Array Irradiance and Solar Geometry Coupling: White-Box Simulink Implementation and Experimental Validation

Energies, Vol. 19, Pages 1437: Traceable Time-Domain Photovoltaic Module Modeling with Plane-of-Array Irradiance and Solar Geometry Coupling: White-Box Simulink Implementation and Experimental Validation

Energies doi: 10.3390/en19061437

Authors:
Ciprian Popa
Florențiu Deliu
Adrian Popa
Narcis Octavian Volintiru
Andrei Darius Deliu
Iancu Ciocioi
Petrică Popov

Accurate time-domain photovoltaic (PV) models are needed to evaluate performance under outdoor variability beyond STC datasheet conditions. This paper presents a traceable modeling workflow based on the standard single-diode formulation, implemented in MATLAB/Simulink (R2023a) as a modular white-box architecture that explicitly resolves photocurrent generation and loss mechanisms (diode recombination, shunt leakage, and series resistance effects) with temperature-consistent propagation through VT(T) and saturation-current terms. The method couples optical boundary conditions to the electrical model by embedding plane-of-array (POA) excitation via the incidence angle Θ(t) and roof albedo directly into the photocurrent source term, preserving the causal chain from mounting geometry to electrical response. Calibration is separated from prediction by initializing key parameters using the standard Simulink PV block and then freezing them for time-domain evaluation. The workflow is validated on a 395 W rooftop prototype using 1 min resolved POA irradiance (ISO 9060:2018 Class A radiometric chain) and module temperature (IEC 60751 Class A Pt100), synchronized with electrical measurements. Over a multi-week campaign, the model exhibits high fidelity, with a worst-case relative current error of ~1.1% and a consistently low bias and dispersion, quantified by ME, MAE, RMSE, σe, and thresholded MAPE.