Since August 2010 EURAC has been monitoring a 724 kWp multi-technology test field at the Airport of Bolzano Dolomiti (ABD) in the Italian Alps. The modules are mounted on fixed-tilt racks (30°) as well as on a single- and a dual-axis tracker. This work presents the results of one-year comparison between different crystalline PV technologies based on monocrystalline silicon (mc-Si), polycrystalline silicon (pc-Si) and heterojunction with intrinsic thin-layer (HIT), mounted on single- and dual-axis trackers. The performances are also compared to modules on 30°-tilted fixed racks, covering the time span between July 2011 and June 2012 (second year of plant operation). The comparison is carried out in terms of daily profiles of normalized power output, average yearly module temperature and pseudo performance ratio. The results show major advantages in using a dual-axis tracker especially during winter, and a better performance of the HIT modules with respect to the other technologies on almost all the mounting systems.

27th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition; 3359-3362