This paper presents the evaluation of the performance, in terms of uncertainty, of a tool designed to estimate the main parameters of a model of a photovoltaic panel (PVP) under real and/or simulated working conditions. The presented tool permits the characterization of the panel, and it is useful to predict its behavior in whatever working condition; in this way, it is possible to compare the actual and expected performance to prevent any decrease in the output power, so permitting the replacement of the monitored module before it goes out of order or its efficiency falls under a given threshold. The well-known two-diode model is used to estimate the parameters of the electrical equivalent circuit of the PVP and to simulate the I -V and P-V characteristic curves in any given environmental condition of irradiance and/or temperature. The model and the estimation algorithm are implemented with MATLAB functions, whereas data acquisition and result presentation are managed by a LabVIEW graphics user interface. The presented tool has been validated against an experimentally characterized PVP. The environmental parameters of the model such as irradiance and temperature have been set (with their respective uncertainties) during simulations or directly measured during the outdoor tests, whereas the others parameters have been evaluated using a best-fit algorithm on the measured data. The estimation is based on the minimization of a new objective function and on a modified expression of the model resistances, which differ from those mentioned in the available literature. After a review of the state of the art, this paper provides the description of the estimation technique and its validation by means of simulations and experiments. Some results are also provided to illustrate the performance of the proposed test method.

This paper describes a theoretical approach to evaluate the uncertainty on the series and shunt resistances estimated by the seven-parameter (double diode) model of a photovoltaic (PV) cell using data commonly provided by panel manufacturers, measured environmental parameters, and semiempirical equations. After a brief survey on the state of the art and the treatment of the double-diode model, the procedure proposed by the authors, to estimate the unknown parameters, is illustrated. The theoretical expression of the uncertainty, which affects the estimation of the series and shunt resistances (namely, and ) of a PV cell, is then derived. A statistical analysis performed by means of a Monte Carlo simulation is in agreement with the theoretical expression of the uncertainty.

This paper describes a theoretical approach to evaluate the performance of a hybrid solar system made with photovoltaic cells and thermoelectric (TE) modules. After a brief treatment of the integrated system, energy conversion and performance parameters are evaluated through numerical simulations depending on the global radiation and temperature distribution obtained by the Joint Research Center of the European Commission and of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The contribution of TE module to total energy seems significant in southern European towns and less substantial when the locations considered are very distant from the equator and show the possibility of using TE devices for energy production.

Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) is a well-known bacterial plant pathogen mainly transmitted by vector insects and is associated with serious diseases affecting a wide variety of plants, both wild and cultivated; it is known that over 350 plant species are prone to Xf attack. In olive trees, it causes olive quick decline syndrome (OQDS), which is currently a serious threat to the survival of hundreds of thousands of olive trees in the south of Italy and in other countries in the European Union. Controls and countermeasures are in place to limit the further spreading of the bacterium, but it is a tough war to fight mainly due to the invasiveness of the actions that can be taken against it. The most effective weapons against the spread of Xf infection in olive trees are the detection of its presence as early as possible and attacks to the development of its vector insects. In this paper, image processing of high-resolution visible and multispectral images acquired by a purposely equipped multirotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is proposed for fast detection of Xf symptoms in olive trees. Acquired images were processed using a new segmentation algorithm to recognize trees which were subsequently classified using linear discriminant analysis. Preliminary experimental results obtained by flying over olive groves in selected sites in the south of Italy are presented, demonstrating a mean Sørensen–Dice similarity coefficient of about 70% for segmentation, and 98% sensitivity and 93% precision for the classification of affected trees. The high similarity coefficient indicated that the segmentation algorithm was successful at isolating the regions of interest containing trees, while the high sensitivity and precision showed that OQDS can be detected with a low relative number of both false positives and false negatives.