@misc{68798fbb037448edae8d8dca05bba25e,
title = "Feasibility of Passive MOSFET Paralleling for Photovoltaic Current-Voltage Curves",
abstract = "Current-voltage curves are an important method of characterizing Photovoltaic (PV) Modules. NREL has developed several low-cost MOSFET-based devices that can characterize PV cells and modules. The size of PV modules that can be measured is limited by the power limitations of a single MOSFET. By using multiple MOSFET devices, each can operate at a lower current, paralleled on resistance is also decreased allowing for higher power loads. Operating multiple devices in parallel can cause an imbalance in current, thus causing some devices to conduct more, pushing them into a thermal runaway condition. To investigate this, an active feedback circuit was tested with paralleled devices using a PV module load. The efficacy, limitations, and design considerations of using parallel MOSFET loads for PV characterization are explored. This work is not new, but the implementation of a paralleled architecture in a low cost characterization tool is novel.",
keywords = "current-voltage curves, modules, MOSFET, photovoltaic",
author = "Alden Mapes and William Sekulic and Byron McDanold and Josh Parker",
year = "2025",
language = "American English",
series = "Presented at the Photovoltaic Reliability Workshop (PVRW), 4-6 March 2025, Golden, Colorado",
publisher = "National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)",
address = "United States",
type = "Other",
}