The performance of solar PV modules with two glass types after 11 years of outdoor exposure under the mediterranean climatic conditions

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis, assessment, and investigation of the degradation performance of the monocrystalline silicon PV modules with two glass types (Float, Textured) exposed outdoor for eleven years under Mediterranean climate conditions in northern Algeria, Bouzareah city, Algeria. In this regard, several protocol tests, experimental and measurement procedures have been developed according to IEC 61215-2 requirements in order to inspect the performance of deployed PV modules by considering their glass types. Where, they have been the subject of several PV inspections such as visual, electrical, PV characterization, and temperature coefficients and thermographic …etc. The inspections, classifications, and statistical analysis results reveal that the deployed PV modules with two glass types suffer mainly from optical failure occurrences. The measured electrical PV parameters (Pmax,Isc,Voc, and FF) of the deployed PV modules have been reduced with annual degradation (1.04%/year, 0.5%/year, 0.3%/year, and 1.04 %/year). In the same way, the temperature coefficients have been influenced by the PV modules degradations as well. Besides, some of the deployed PV modules characteristic curves suffered from inflex point’s exhibition. The thermal inspections show that the deployed PV modules regardless of their glass types caused by the inhomogeneity distribution of the optical failures are significantly affected by minor temperature mismatch. This paper investigates and discusses as well several correlation proposals between the presented PV inspections by considering multiple impacts between these inspections and the performance of the deployed PV modules with their two glass types in view to better understand the PV module degradation.