Operating temperature is a critical factor limiting the performance and reliability of photovoltaic (PV) systems, particularly in Sahelian regions where modules are exposed to substantial thermal fluctuations. Although temperature effects on PV performance have been widely investigated, experimental evidence remains limited on the comparative thermo-electrical response of monocrystalline and polycrystalline silicon modules under a broad range of extreme temperatures while simultaneously considering electrical characteristics, effective temperature coefficients, and thermal dynamics. This study addresses this gap through a controlled experimental comparison of both technologies over a temperature range of 5–70°C at a constant irradiance of approximately 450 W.m-2, representative of moderate solar operating conditions. A solar simulator coupled with a PV150 photovoltaic analyzer was used to systematically characterize the current–voltage (I–V) and power–voltage (P–V) characteristics, energy conversion efficiency, effective maximum power temperature coefficients, and heating and cooling dynamics of the two PV technologies. The results demonstrate a consistent temperature-dependent degradation of electrical performance: increasing temperature slightly increases short-circuit current, whereas open-circuit voltage, maximum power output, and conversion efficiency progressively decline. Between 30°C and 70°C, the efficiency of the monocrystalline module decreased by 11.92%, compared with only 6.68% for the polycrystalline module, while cooling to 5°C increased efficiency by 8.52% and 14.57%, respectively. The experimentally determined maximum power temperature coefficients were −0.30%.°C-1 for the monocrystalline module and −0.17%.°C-1 for the polycrystalline module, revealing a markedly lower thermal sensitivity and greater thermal stability of the polycrystalline technology under the investigated conditions. Beyond quantifying conventional temperature-induced losses, the originality of this study lies in the integrated experimental assessment of electrical degradation, effective thermal sensitivity, and transient thermal behavior across an extended temperature range under controlled irradiance, providing experimentally derived evidence relevant to harsh Sahelian environments. These findings have direct practical implications for PV technology selection, performance prediction, thermal derating, and the design of thermal management strategies, particularly for installations exposed to severe heat stress. The results also provide experimental benchmarks for improving temperature-dependent PV performance models and supporting the development of climate-adapted operation and maintenance strategies for high-temperature photovoltaic systems.
| Published in | American Journal of Energy Engineering (Volume 14, Issue 3) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.ajee.20261403.15 |
| Page(s) | 140-150 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2026. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Photovoltaic Modules, Crystalline Silicon, Extreme Temperatures, Thermo-electrical Behavior, Energy Conversion Efficiency
Electrical parameters | (1000 W/, 25°C) |
|---|---|
Maximum power | 50 W |
Maximum current | 2.78 A |
Voltage Maximum ( | 18 V |
Open circuit voltage () | 21.24 V |
Short-circuit current () | 3.05 A |
Number of solar cells | 12 |
Area | 64.5 cm47.3cm |
Electrical parameters | (1000 W/, 25°C) |
|---|---|
Maximum power | 55 W |
Maximum current | 4.568 A |
Voltage Maximum ( | 17.6 V |
Open circuit voltage () | 21 V |
Short-circuit current () | 5.12 A |
Number of solar cells | 12 |
Area | 64 cm48.5cm |
T(°C) | Isc (A) | Voc (V) | Pmax (W) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
poly | mono | poly | mono | poly | mono | poly | mono | |
30 | 1.265 | 1.306 | 21.25 | 21.25 | 18.68 | 20.02 | 13.66 | 14.43 |
70 | 1.333 | 1.39 | 18.567 | 18.63 | 17.43 | 17.75 | 12.70 | 12.71 |
05 | 1.4 | 1.35 | 22.8 | 23 | 21.48 | 21.895 | 15.65 | 15.66 |
PV | Photovoltaic |
I–V | Current–Voltage |
P–V | Power–Voltage |
Isc | Short-Circuit Current |
Voc | Open-Circuit Voltage |
Imax | Current at Maximum Power Point |
Vmax | Voltage at Maximum Power Point |
Pmax | Maximum Power Output |
STC | Standard Test Conditions |
PV150 | Photovoltaic Analyzer PV150 |
PCM | Phase Change Materials |
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APA Style
Sadio, M., Thiame, M., Camara, M., Traore, S. (2026). Comparative Thermo-Electrical Performance of Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Modules Under Extreme Temperatures. American Journal of Energy Engineering, 14(3), 140-150. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajee.20261403.15
ACS Style
Sadio, M.; Thiame, M.; Camara, M.; Traore, S. Comparative Thermo-Electrical Performance of Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Modules Under Extreme Temperatures. Am. J. Energy Eng. 2026, 14(3), 140-150. doi: 10.11648/j.ajee.20261403.15
AMA Style
Sadio M, Thiame M, Camara M, Traore S. Comparative Thermo-Electrical Performance of Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Modules Under Extreme Temperatures. Am J Energy Eng. 2026;14(3):140-150. doi: 10.11648/j.ajee.20261403.15
@article{10.11648/j.ajee.20261403.15,
author = {Moustapha Sadio and Moustapha Thiame and Moussa Camara and Sada Traore},
title = {Comparative Thermo-Electrical Performance of Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Modules Under Extreme Temperatures},
journal = {American Journal of Energy Engineering},
volume = {14},
number = {3},
pages = {140-150},
doi = {10.11648/j.ajee.20261403.15},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajee.20261403.15},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajee.20261403.15},
abstract = {Operating temperature is a critical factor limiting the performance and reliability of photovoltaic (PV) systems, particularly in Sahelian regions where modules are exposed to substantial thermal fluctuations. Although temperature effects on PV performance have been widely investigated, experimental evidence remains limited on the comparative thermo-electrical response of monocrystalline and polycrystalline silicon modules under a broad range of extreme temperatures while simultaneously considering electrical characteristics, effective temperature coefficients, and thermal dynamics. This study addresses this gap through a controlled experimental comparison of both technologies over a temperature range of 5–70°C at a constant irradiance of approximately 450 W.m-2, representative of moderate solar operating conditions. A solar simulator coupled with a PV150 photovoltaic analyzer was used to systematically characterize the current–voltage (I–V) and power–voltage (P–V) characteristics, energy conversion efficiency, effective maximum power temperature coefficients, and heating and cooling dynamics of the two PV technologies. The results demonstrate a consistent temperature-dependent degradation of electrical performance: increasing temperature slightly increases short-circuit current, whereas open-circuit voltage, maximum power output, and conversion efficiency progressively decline. Between 30°C and 70°C, the efficiency of the monocrystalline module decreased by 11.92%, compared with only 6.68% for the polycrystalline module, while cooling to 5°C increased efficiency by 8.52% and 14.57%, respectively. The experimentally determined maximum power temperature coefficients were −0.30%.°C-1 for the monocrystalline module and −0.17%.°C-1 for the polycrystalline module, revealing a markedly lower thermal sensitivity and greater thermal stability of the polycrystalline technology under the investigated conditions. Beyond quantifying conventional temperature-induced losses, the originality of this study lies in the integrated experimental assessment of electrical degradation, effective thermal sensitivity, and transient thermal behavior across an extended temperature range under controlled irradiance, providing experimentally derived evidence relevant to harsh Sahelian environments. These findings have direct practical implications for PV technology selection, performance prediction, thermal derating, and the design of thermal management strategies, particularly for installations exposed to severe heat stress. The results also provide experimental benchmarks for improving temperature-dependent PV performance models and supporting the development of climate-adapted operation and maintenance strategies for high-temperature photovoltaic systems.},
year = {2026}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - Comparative Thermo-Electrical Performance of Monocrystalline and Polycrystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Modules Under Extreme Temperatures AU - Moustapha Sadio AU - Moustapha Thiame AU - Moussa Camara AU - Sada Traore Y1 - 2026/09/08 PY - 2026 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajee.20261403.15 DO - 10.11648/j.ajee.20261403.15 T2 - American Journal of Energy Engineering JF - American Journal of Energy Engineering JO - American Journal of Energy Engineering SP - 140 EP - 150 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2329-163X UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajee.20261403.15 AB - Operating temperature is a critical factor limiting the performance and reliability of photovoltaic (PV) systems, particularly in Sahelian regions where modules are exposed to substantial thermal fluctuations. Although temperature effects on PV performance have been widely investigated, experimental evidence remains limited on the comparative thermo-electrical response of monocrystalline and polycrystalline silicon modules under a broad range of extreme temperatures while simultaneously considering electrical characteristics, effective temperature coefficients, and thermal dynamics. This study addresses this gap through a controlled experimental comparison of both technologies over a temperature range of 5–70°C at a constant irradiance of approximately 450 W.m-2, representative of moderate solar operating conditions. A solar simulator coupled with a PV150 photovoltaic analyzer was used to systematically characterize the current–voltage (I–V) and power–voltage (P–V) characteristics, energy conversion efficiency, effective maximum power temperature coefficients, and heating and cooling dynamics of the two PV technologies. The results demonstrate a consistent temperature-dependent degradation of electrical performance: increasing temperature slightly increases short-circuit current, whereas open-circuit voltage, maximum power output, and conversion efficiency progressively decline. Between 30°C and 70°C, the efficiency of the monocrystalline module decreased by 11.92%, compared with only 6.68% for the polycrystalline module, while cooling to 5°C increased efficiency by 8.52% and 14.57%, respectively. The experimentally determined maximum power temperature coefficients were −0.30%.°C-1 for the monocrystalline module and −0.17%.°C-1 for the polycrystalline module, revealing a markedly lower thermal sensitivity and greater thermal stability of the polycrystalline technology under the investigated conditions. Beyond quantifying conventional temperature-induced losses, the originality of this study lies in the integrated experimental assessment of electrical degradation, effective thermal sensitivity, and transient thermal behavior across an extended temperature range under controlled irradiance, providing experimentally derived evidence relevant to harsh Sahelian environments. These findings have direct practical implications for PV technology selection, performance prediction, thermal derating, and the design of thermal management strategies, particularly for installations exposed to severe heat stress. The results also provide experimental benchmarks for improving temperature-dependent PV performance models and supporting the development of climate-adapted operation and maintenance strategies for high-temperature photovoltaic systems. VL - 14 IS - 3 ER -