Long-term performance investigation of different solar panels in the West Black Sea Region

Photovoltaic panels play a vital role in expanding renewable energy usage and mitigating environmental impacts. Ensuring the efficient integration of PV panels in diverse regions worldwide relies on precise calculations, considering factors like sunlight variability, climatic conditions, and grid connectivity. This study evaluates the performance of amorphous silicon (a-Si), polycrystalline silicon (pc-Si), and monocrystalline silicon (mc-Si) solar panels in the West Black Sea's Duzce province, Turkey. The respective capacities of these panels are 2.4 kW, 2.64 kW, and 2.35 kW. Over 6 years (2014-2019), we collected detailed data, including temperature, irradiance, wind speed, and power outputs, totaling 7.39 kW. We calculated the performance ratio, power conversion efficiency, and degradation rate for a-Si, pc-Si, and mc-Si panels under varying environmental conditions. The findings showed that a-Si panels had a PR of 71.391%, pc-Si panels scored 75.394%, and mc-Si panels excelled with a PR of 85.113%. The annual average DR relative to PR was - 0.577%/year, - 0.583%/year, and - 0.582%/year, respectively. PCE over the 6-year period was 4.519% for a-Si panels, while pc-Si and mc-Si panels achieved 10.478% and 12.736%. Six-year experimental study conducted in real-world conditions provides highly reliable data valuable to PV panel stakeholders and offers robust insights, particularly regarding region-specific panel selection. The results indicate monocrystalline silicon (mc-Si) as the most suitable PV panel type for Duzce, affirming its potential in the West Black Sea Region.