dc.description.abstract
The rapid expansion of photovoltaic installations worldwide has created an urgent need for accessible simulation tools that can be used by facility managers, technicians and students to understand system performance and diagnose operational issues. However, current photovoltaic simulation software is desktop-based, proprietary and designed for expert users, which creates significant barriers to entry for non-specialists seeking to optimise solar installations. This final thesis aims to address this issue by developing and rigorously validating a web-based photovoltaic simulator that runs entirely within standard web browsers using PyScript and WebAssembly technologies. The simulator incorporates the PVUSA performance model, which is based on empirical data, and three physics-based degradation mechanisms: thermal stress via Arrhenius acceleration factors, humidity-induced corrosion through Hallberg-Peck modelling and Humboldt State University (HSU) particulate deposition model for soiling losses. These components combine to form a Transitory Deterioration Rate (TDR), which captures multi- year performance decline. A Flask backend integrates Open-Meteo API data in real-time, maintaining lightweight client-side execution. The system's modular design allows users to experiment with different configurations, enabling them to see how various factors, such as degradation, environmental conditions, and system losses, influence energy predictions. A 1009-day period of operational data from a residential installation in Lleida, Catalonia was used to validate the model, achieving an R² of 0.8716, a mean of 2.42 kWh, a median of 1.91 kWh and a 6.68% cumulative error across combined training and test periods. The simulator also provides 15-day energy forecasting, comprehensive validation metrics and full data export capabilities. This work contributes to renewable energy education and enables data-driven decision- making for small-scale system operators by democratising advanced photovoltaic analysis through accessible web technologies, eliminating installation requirements, licensing costs, and programming prerequisites.
