The performance of photovoltaic (PV) module is affected by outdoor conditions. Outdoor testing consists installing a module, and collecting electrical performance data and climatic data over a certain period of time. It can also include the study of long-term performance under real work conditions. Tests are operated in URAER located in desert region of Ghardaïa (Algeria) characterized by high irradiation and temperature levels. The degradation of PV module with temperature and time exposure to sunlight contributes significantly to the final output from the module, as the output reduces each year. This paper presents a comparative study of different methods to evaluate the degradation of PV module after a long term exposure of more than 12 years in desert region and calculates uncertainties in measuring. Firstly, this evaluation uses three methods: Visual inspection, data given by Solmetric PVA-600 Analyzer translated at Standard Test Condition (STC) and based on the investigation results of the translation equations as ICE 60891. Secondly, the degradation rates calculated for all methods. Finally, a comparison between a degradation rates given by Solmetric PVA-600 analyzer, calculated by simulation model and calculated by two methods (ICE 60891 procedures 1, 2). We achieved a detailed uncertainty study in order to improve the procedure and measurement instrument.

Temperature, solar insolation, shading and faults affect the performance of the photovoltaic array. Often, the PV arrays get shadowed, completely or partially, by the passing clouds neigh boring buildings, towers or by trees, and other utilities. The situation is of a interest in a case of the large PV power plants. In the case of the shading the characteristics of the PV module are more complex with the several peak values. Under such conditions, it is very difficult to determine the maximum power point (MPP). MATLAB-programmed modelling and simulation of photovoltaic module is presented here, by focusing on the effects of partial shading on the output of the photovoltaic (PV) module and Faults Bypass Diode. The proposed models facilitate simulating the dynamic performances of PV-based power systems and have been validated by means of simulation study. The southern part of Algeria, where the experimental system is mounted, is particularly well appropriate to photovoltaic systems. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed model, experiments have been conducted to compare the experimental and simulated current-voltage (IV) and power-voltage (PV) curves of a PV system under some predefined partial shading and faults bypass diode, using different PV technologies such as mono-crystalline and multi-crystalline.