On the Performance of Solar Cells/Panels and Li-Ion Batteries: Simplified Models Developed at the IDR/UPM Institute

The most relevant results from the IDR/UPM Institute research on solar cells/panels and Li-ion batteries performance are reviewed in this article. The aim of this article is to present the possibilities of the mathematical procedures developed for space applications, with a view to extend their use to other industrial sectors. The research at the IDR/UPM Institute has been driven by selecting simple tools and procedures to model the behavior of solar cell/panel, since modeling these photovoltaic devices is normally carried out by 1-diode/2-resistor equivalent circuit models, which might represent an unaffordable mathematical challenge for many professionals and technicians in the renewable energy field. Concerning Li-ion batteries, the large experience accumulated during the maintenance of the UPMSat-2 battery resulted in the successful development of new mathematical models to study the performance of batteries. The models developed are based on the amount of discharged energy, measured in W·h, instead of other more traditional parameters such as the state of charge, measured in A·h.