Five-Parameter Identification Method for Multi-Type Photovoltaic Modules Based on Genetic Algorithm

Existing parameter extraction methods for photovoltaic modules are mostly developed for specific module types or structural configurations, making it difficult to achieve unified modeling across different materials, structures, and operating conditions. To address this issue, this study proposes a unified five-parameter identification method based on the single-diode model of photovoltaic cells and combines it with a genetic algorithm. The photocurrent, reverse saturation current, series resistance, shunt resistance, and diode ideality factor are selected as the identification parameters, and the parameter extraction problem is formulated as a global optimization problem. On this basis, a cell-unit-based parameter correction model considering the effects of irradiance and temperature is established, and unified modeling of photovoltaic modules with different architectures is achieved according to their internal electrical connections, enabling the prediction of their electrical characteristics. The proposed method is validated using experimental data from a half-cell mono-crystalline silicon module under different shading conditions, as well as mono-crystalline silicon, multi-crystalline silicon, and thin-film modules under varying irradiance and temperature conditions. In addition, the RTC France solar cell and Photowatt-PWP201 module benchmark datasets are employed to further assess the reliability of the parameter identification procedure. The results demonstrate that the proposed method can effectively reproduce the electrical characteristics of the investigated photovoltaic modules, with maximum relative errors of 2.48%, 2.17%, and 4.32% for open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, and maximum power, respectively. The benchmark validation further demonstrates that the proposed method achieves fitting accuracy comparable to that of other representative optimization algorithms while exhibiting good repeatability and convergence performance. These results collectively demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed cell-unit-based five-parameter modeling framework for photovoltaic modules with different materials and structures under the investigated operating conditions, providing a simple and feasible approach for unified parameter identification, performance characterization, and engineering modeling.