Photovoltaic (PV) systems undergo energy losses as operating temperatures increase. However, the independent effects of ambient temperature are difficult to quantify because sunlight simultaneously heats and illuminates the panel. This limitation makes it difficult to model real-world PV performance and thermal behavior. This project investigates how ambient environmental temperature affects photovoltaic electrical performance when irradiance is held constant, and examines how humidity and thermal stress patterns influence this relationship.

I am conducting this research at the IntelliScience Institute and San Jose State University, an ideal environment due to the access to a temperature and humidity-controlled environmental chamber, infrared imaging equipment, and proper photovoltaic testing tools. Under the guidance of Dr. Sohail Zaidi, who has conducted advanced research on photovoltaic system performance and thermal behavior, I will test external artificial illumination at selected irradiance values, and for each setting, independently control ambient temperature and humidity inside the chamber. I will measure open-circuit voltage across a wide-temperature range and capture infrared thermal images to map surface temperature gradients and identify hotspots on the panel surface. I will then analyze the thermal data using MATLAB, applying a voltage-temperature regression and pixel-level thermal analysis to quantify non-uniform heating and thermal stress

By isolating environmental variables that are typically intertwined in conventional studies, this project aims to improve understanding of temperature-driven efficiency losses and support performance modeling and design of reliable solar-energy systems.