The exploitation and development of photovoltaic (PV) modules faces several technical challenges, including those related to variability in electrical performance under real conditions, such as temperature fluctuations, irradiance variability, and dust accumulation. One solution for evaluating and controlling these performances is to conduct electrical characterization under natural conditions. Many characterization techniques have been developed and proposed in the literature, with the aim of verifying manufacturer performance guarantees and better understanding the behavior of PV modules in their installation environment, where the climatic parameters, such as solar irradiation and temperature, fluctuate constantly. These techniques are based on recognized standards, including those established by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). They are also based on methods of transposing basic electrical parameters, allowing the prediction of the performance of modules under various environmental conditions. In this work, a classification and a critical analysis of the main methods of electrical characterization were undertaken, highlighting their respective advantages and disadvantages. The experimental protocols used to evaluate the impact of environmental parameters on the performance of PV modules were examined in detail.

This study presents an experimental analysis of the performance of polycrystalline silicon photovoltaic modules installed in a desert environment of Agadez (Niger). The analysis is based on meteorological and electrical data collected during the year 2025. The main objective is to evaluate the influence of local climatic conditions, particularly dust accumulation, on the energy performance of the photovoltaic modules. The assessment of performance is based on several indicators, including energy output (ED), reference yield ( Y _R ), array yield ( Y _A ), module efficiency ( η ), and performance ratio ( PR ). Three experimental configurations were studied: uncleaned, weekly cleaned, and monthly cleaned module. The results indicate that the monthly average daily energy production varies between 4.25 and 8.85 kWh for the uncleaned module, 4.87 and 9.59 kWh for the weekly cleaned module, and 4.75 and 9.11 kWh for the monthly cleaned module. For a Y _R between 6.41 and 9.03 h/day, the Y _A , respectively, varies from 1.36 to 2.95 kWh/kWp for the uncleaned module, 1.57–3.19 kWh/kWp for the weekly cleaned module, and 1.53–3.03 kWh/kWp for the monthly cleaned module. Moreover, the maximum efficiency observed reaches 7.67% for the uncleaned module, 11.38% for the weekly cleaned module, and 8.22% for the monthly cleaned module. The analysis of the PR reveals energy losses between 7% and 15% for the uncleaned module compared with the cleaned modules. These results highlight the significant impact of dust accumulation on the performance of photovoltaic systems in desert environments. They also suggest that the polycrystalline technology has limited performance in the Sahelian conditions of Agadez, characterized by a high presence of dust and a relatively low Y _A compared with the Y _R .