An industrial scale solution to achieving light-induced degradation (LID) free silicon solar systems: >5% performance gain at system level with advanced hydrogenation technology

Abstract

Light-induced degradation (LID) and light- and elevated-temperature induced degradation (LeTID) effects in p-type monocrystalline silicon (Si) passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) cell structure have been extensively studied in recent years. Various advanced hydrogenation techniques were previously reported, and aimed to eliminate or at least minimize the effect of LID/LeTID on solar cell performance stability. However, there are limited reports on the long-term performance of solar modules which comprise of these treated solar cells and deployed in typical outdoor conditions. This work aims to provide quantified outdoor performance data for comparing solar modules that are comprised of either hydrogenated or non-hydrogenated reference p-PERC silicon solar cells. A total of 1150 solar modules (>82,000 p-PERC silicon solar cells) were deployed on a commercial building rooftop with identical placement and real-time performance monitoring over an extended period of 12 months under standard outdoor conditions. The results showed that effective advanced hydrogenation is achievable with process time as short as 5 s, although a longer process time of 10–15 s delivered optimal results. The advanced hydrogenation technology in this work can effectively address the LID and LeTID issues on the cell, module, and system levels, with >5% higher power generation capability on hydrogenated solar arrays as compared to the non-hydrogenated reference. Solar cell and module manufacturers strive to produce products with long-term stability, and the successful demonstration of the advanced hydrogenation technology in this work could serve this demand. A future perspective for advanced hydrogenation technologies is also presented.