How are the terms Gross PV Surface Area and PV Solar Surface Area defined? Why are the values different in some cases?
The PV Solar Surface Area is the area that forms the basis of the manufacturers measurement of module efficiency. For simulation, the program determines the Solar Surface Area from the calculated power and efficiency, using the following formula: Nominal output(STC)= 1000 W/m * ETA(STC) * PV Solar Surface Area The manufacturer provides the values for nominal output(STC) and efficiency, and the Solar Surface Area results from this. In some cases, the resulting figure is different from the Gross PV Surface Area. If, for example, the manufacturer does not take the module frame into account when calculating the ETA(STC), in order to obtain a better ETA(STC), the Solar Surface Area will be smaller. For a Solar Surface Area that corresponds to the Gross PV Surface Area, you should click on the calculator symbol to calculate the Module Efficiency (you will find this under Databases > PV Module > U/I Char. STC).
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