A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE OF SUNLIGHT AND TEMPERATURE ON THE PERFORMANCE OF A LOW-CONCENTRATION FIXED PV SYSTEM AND A NON-CONCENTRATING FIXED PV SYSTEM IN A SAHELIAN ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

Our study compares the performance of a low-concentration photovoltaic (LCPV) system and a non-concentrating PV system under the influence of solar irradiance and temperature in a Sahelian environment (Burkina Faso). The systems used are fixed-axis systems with monocrystalline modules of identical specifications. To determine the most suitable system for the Sahelian context, mathematical and electrical models were developed for the concentrator and the PV module. Based on these models, the concentrator system was sized, and an experimental setup was constructed. The experimental study was conducted in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, over a one-month period (from the first (01) to the twenty-eighth (28) of February 2026). The results showed that the currents and voltages of both systems vary in tandem with irradiance. However, the low-concentration system exhibits higher efficiency during periods of high sunshine than the non-concentrating system. Furthermore, temperature has a negative impact on the modules’ electrical parameters. This effect is more pronounced in the low-concentration system than in the non-concentrating system. Overall, the LCPV system exhibits higher energy efficiency than the simple system with , given Burkina Faso’s climate, with a relative gain of approximately 32%. Its use will thus reduce the number of modules required and, consequently, the amount of space needed.