Experimental Analysis of the Degradation of PV UDTS-50 W Modules Exposed to Extreme Weather Conditions in a Saharan Environment

Abstract

The degradation of the electrical performance of photovoltaic modules UDTS-50W exposed to the sun for a long period of about 10 years in a Saharan environment of Adrar was presented. In this article, the experimental results obtained during the analysis of the I-V characteristics of some UDTS-50W photovoltaic modules tested in the real conditions of the Saharan environment (Adrar region). The electrical performance degradation of the UDTS-50 W PV modules was identified by empirically analyzing the I-V and P-V characteristics and by visual field inspection of these modules, which were installed in a renewable research unit in a desert environment (URERMS). The comparison between the experimental characteristic curves IV and PV of the PV modules UDTS-50W and the reference in the standard test conditions (STC) shows that the degradation of the electrical performances is due globally by the delamination and the discoloration of the Ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) encapsulate after the long term exposure in a desert environment.