Photovoltaics, the direct conversion of light from the sun into electricity, is an increasingly important means of distributed power generation. The SPICE modelling tool is typically used in the development of electrical and electronic circuits. When applied to the modelling of PV systems it provides a means of understanding and evaluating the performance of solar cells and systems. The majority of books currently on the market are based around discussion of the solar cell as semiconductor devices rather than as a system to be modelled and applied to real-world problems. Castaner and Silvestre provide a comprehensive treatment of PV system technology analysis. Using SPICE, the tool of choice for circuits and electronics designers, this book highlights the increasing importance of modelling techniques in the quantitative analysis of PV systems. This unique treatment presents both students and professional engineers, with the means to understand, evaluate and develop their own PV modules and systems. * Provides a unique, self-contained, guide to the modelling and design of PV systems * Presents a practical, application oriented approach to PV technology, something that is missing from the current literature * Uses the widely known SPICE circuit-modelling tool to analyse and simulate the performance of PV modules for the first time * Written by respected and well-known academics in the field
