In this paper, a one-dimensional thermal model of a photovoltaic (PV) module is developed based on the heat transfer mechanism. This model takes into account the solar irradiance, ambient temperature as well as wind velocity to evaluate the real-time cell temperature of a PV module. The validity and utility of the proposed model are assessed by comparing the simulation result with that of the experiment. Also, it is shown how this thermal model can be effectively used in the output features prediction of a PV module, overcoming the limitations of traditional methods in which wind velocity are neglected. The proposed methodology can be utilized in the site planning and auxiliary cooling facilities design of PV stations, as well as the status monitoring and diagnostic analysis of PV modules.