Seeking clarity in the generator design when using the SolaR package in r

Question

I am trying to determine the generation output of a solar generation facility using historical solar irradiance conditions. I am using the SolaR R package (specifically prodGCPV function) to help in this effort. The generator design consists of 10 solar modules (panels) connected in series. When I design the generator using the attribute:

generator<-list(Nms=10,Nmp=0)

I get zero output (Pdc and Pac) under all conditions. However, when I use:

generator<-list(Nms=10,Nmp=1)

the output appears reasonable. The SolaR documentation describes Nms as the number of solar modules connected in series while Nmp as the number of solar modules connected in parallel. Again, my solar generator consists of 10 modules (panels) connected in series. Can someone explain why I need to add 1 module connected in parallel to get results?

Your advice is appreciated

Thank You

Answer 1

The total number of modules of a generator is Nms * Nmp. Therefore, if Nmp = 0 your generator has no modules. If you prefer, Nmp is the number of strings. Therefore, in your example Nmp = 1.