Fast Extraction of Performance Parameters for Photovoltaic Module using Electroluminescence Imaging Technique

Abstract

A fast extraction method, based on electroluminescence (EL) imaging technique, is introduced to quantitatively estimate the electrical performance parameters of individual solar cells within the photovoltaic (PV) module. Extraction of series resistance (RS) and dark saturation current density (J0) for individual cells are performed using two EL images. The I-V characteristics of individual cells and PV module can then be computed with the extracted RS and J0 using single-diode model simulation for comprehensive knowledge of individual cell performance within the PV module. By comparing the performance of the original module with that of a simulated module where the solar cells with poor Rs and J0 are replaced by better cells, the potential performance improvement can be predicted.