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3.
METHOD Before obtaining any data, it was necessary to ensure that the spread of irradiance over the panels was uniform. The spotlight gantry was divided into three sections, and we had to ensure that the irradiance from each was approximately equal. A light sensor was placed at either end and at the middle of the module to monitor the light intensity. The next stage was to begin logging. The temperature of the top and the bottom of the panel and the ambient temperature was logged. The open circuit voltage and the short circuit current were also measured using specially designed circuitry. Measuring these current/voltage characteristics enabled the power, and hence the efficiency, of the module to be calculated. The experiment was conducted for three different irradiances - 600 W/m2, 450 W/m2, 150 W/m2. 600 W/m2 is the maximum irradiance achievable with the gantry, and 150 W/m2 is the yearly average irradiance for Scotland. 450 W/m2 was a convenient median.
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