Crystalline Photovoltaic Modules Research Articles

Analysis of Dust Properties and Deposition Loss in Mono and Poly Crystalline Photovoltaic Modules in Southern Rajasthan

Analysis of Dust Properties and Deposition Loss in Mono and Poly Crystalline Photovoltaic Modules in Southern Rajasthan

The Study of Partial Shading on Mono and Poly Crystalline Photovoltaic Modules in Southern Rajasthan

The Study of Partial Shading on Mono and Poly Crystalline Photovoltaic Modules in Southern Rajasthan

Investigating the Technical Reuse Potential of Crystalline Photovoltaic Modules with Regard to a Recycling Alternative

Photovoltaics (PV) is a key pillar of renewable energy supply. However, the climate and resource crisis make it necessary to implement further optimizations toward a circular economy in the PV industry. One strategy for saving resources and lowering carbon dioxide emissions is the reuse of modules (second-life PV). As part of this work, various tests were carried out with crystalline modules from two different manufacturers. The modules had already been transported to a recycling company and were originally intended for recycling. The measurements carried out provide a comprehensive assessment of the condition of the PV modules. In total, five different measurement methods were used, two of which related to short-term measurements under controlled laboratory conditions and three to long-term assessments under real conditions. The investigation illustrated that modules from the recycling company have potential for reuse. However, it also showed that a clearly differentiated classification system is necessary due to module age- and environmental conditions-related degradation. Qualification and further long-term measurements should be implemented using a combination of measurement methods.

Comprehensive analysis of aging mechanisms and design solutions for desert-resilient photovoltaic modules

This study aims to address the best practices and recommendations that contribute to the development of a tailored photovoltaic (PV) module design suited to desert conditions. To realize this customized design, a comprehensive analysis of in-situ aging assessment on five PV systems was undertaken. The initial phase of this assessment involved outdoor visual inspections, revealing visual material degradation modes such as snail trails, delamination, and discoloration. Subsequently, using infrared (IR) imaging and electroluminescence (EL) as powerful techniques, we pinpointed non-visual material issues such as hot spots, potential-induced degradation (PID) on p-type crystalline PV module, and micro-cracks emerging. The trends in the electrical parameters obtained from outdoor-measured I–V curves are analyzed to delve deeper into the performance decline of the PV modules. The findings revealed elevated degradation rates (Rd) values up to 2.7 %/y, largely attributed to the severe climate conditions at the investigation site. This poses significant implications for PV economic viability of the power plant and the payback time in such conditions. By focusing on the key material-related degradation modes that prevail in the exposed five PV systems employing a methodology that leverages Pareto analysis and integrates severity scores assessed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), we analyzed various mitigating solutions to address the dominant observed defects under the challenging desert conditions. Some recommendations on the constitutive parts of the module have been proposed to make them more resilient to the desert environment. These mitigating solutions include recommendations for enhancing the durability of the components of the module to better withstand the harsh desert environment.

C-Si PV module recycling: Analysis of the use of a mechanical pre-treatment to reduce the environmental impact of thermal treatment and enhance materials recovery.

The current increase in the use of photovoltaic (PV) energy demands the search for solutions to recycle end-of-life modules. This study evaluated the use of a mechanical pre-treatment in the thermal recycling of c-Si crystalline PV modules, which were submitted to recycling routes to separate and concentrate the materials of interest. The first route was constituted by only thermal treatment, and the second route was constituted by a mechanical pre-treatment to remove the polymers from the backsheet, and subsequent thermal treatment. The exclusively thermal route was performed at 500°C, varying dwell times between 30 and 120 minutes in the furnace. In this route, the best results were obtained in 90 minutes, with a maximum degradation of 68% of the polymeric mass. In route 2, a micro-grinder rotary tool was used to remove the polymers from the backsheet and, subsequently, thermal treatment performed at 500°C, with dwell times in the furnace ranging between 5 and 30 minutes. The mechanical pre-treatment removed about 10.32 ± 0.92% of the mass of the laminate PV module. By this route, only 20 minutes of thermal treatment were needed for the total decomposition of the polymers, that is, a reduction of 78% in the oven time. With route 2, it was possible to obtain a concentrate with 30 times more silver than the PV laminate and 40 times more than a high-concentration ore. Furthermore, with route 2 it was possible to reduce the environmental impact of heat treatment and energy consumption.

Improvement in the reliability of crystalline silicon solar cell interconnection by using Nickel Micro-Plating Bonding (NMPB) technology

It is popular to research promoting the light conversion efficiency of crystalline silicon solar cell photovoltaic (PV) modules. However, excellent light conversion efficiency does not mean it could maintain initial performance after long-term running. Long-term reliability of interconnection to assemble crystalline silicon solar cells in PV modules is critical to ensure that the device performs continually for up to 20 years. It is reported that most crystalline PV modules fail from corrosion and breakage of the interconnector with the solder joint. As a result, improvement of interconnection technology is highly necessary. Nickel (Ni) Micro-Plating Bonding (NMPB) is an innovative interconnection technology for crystalline silicon solar cells: copper ribbons bonded with lead or lead-free solder are replaced by copper wires bonded with Ni electroplating film. The NMPB interconnection provides key advantages: low temperature (55 °C) process, enhancement of reliability from strain and stress caused by high temperature, and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch between metal and silicon. Furthermore, the material of NMPB, Ni, possesses excellent corrosion resistance. High reliability was confirmed with about 1.9% degradation of output power for up to 1000 thermal cycling tests and 3.8% for 1000 h of damp heat tests in bare NMPB solar cells, while 64.7% degradation in thermal cycling tests and 23.0% in damp heat tests were confirmed in solder bonding solder cells.

Sustainable PV Module Design—Review of State-of-the-Art Encapsulation Methods

In times of climate change and increasing resource scarcity, the importance of sustainable renewable energy technologies is increasing. However, the photovoltaic (PV) industry is characterised by linear economy structures, energy-intensive production, downcycling and little sustainability. One starting point for sustainable technologies is offered by the circular economy with its circular design principles. One problematic aspect of the design of crystalline PV modules is the encapsulation. In particular, the encapsulation avoids high-value recycling or the remanufacturing of modules, which could close loops and extend the lifetime of the products. For this reason, this paper provides an overview of the current state of encapsulation methods regarding production, materials and recycling. In addition, the current state of sustainability research in the photovoltaic sector is presented using the VOSviewer tool. Furthermore, alternative encapsulation technologies are discussed and compared in terms of performance and sustainability. The current encapsulation method using ethylene vinyl acetate as the encapsulation material offers major disadvantages in terms of performance and recyclability. Alternatives are the thermoplastic material polyolefin and the alternative structure of the NICE technology. Overall, however, research should focus more on sustainability and recyclability. Alternative module structures will be a decisive factor in this context.

Reassessment of different flat TCO integrated reflectors for the crystalline silicon solar PV module in view of its longer operational life

AbstractIn the present simulation work with experimental validation, the performance of a transparent conductive oxide (TCO) film‐coated spectrally selective reflector in the low‐concentrated photovoltaic application has been analysed. The use of mirrors in solar photovoltaic (PV) applications is a well‐established thing. However, it increases the operating temperature and requires more thermally stable, expensive solar modules. In this regard, for the first time, commercially available TCO‐coated glasses such as fluorine‐doped tin oxide (FTO) and indium tin oxide (ITO) have been integrated with mirrors. The spectrally selective reflector is a promising technology to achieve a high‐power yield from the commercially available crystalline silicon photovoltaic (C‐Si PV) module during its lifetime. They have the property to absorb unwanted photons in the region of the AM1.5 spectrum (1200 to 2000 nm), which partially thermalises the solar module through plasmonic absorption. The present study found that the proposed approach helps to restrict the increase in PV module temperature caused by the reflected rays from a mirror. The electrical performance of a standalone C‐Si PV was compared with that of the same system after the addition of FTO, ITO and a conventional mirror system. Our analysis indicates that, with the mirror integration, the degradation rate can increase to 1.5% per year if the standalone PV module's ageing rate is 0.8% per year. Through FTO incorporation with the same, the ageing rate has been reduced by up to 1.18% per year due to a reduction in temperature. This result is quite interesting, considering that spectrally selective reflectors do not stop high‐energy photons from thermalizing the PV module. The entire work has been done on commercially available materials, which makes it easier and ready to be implemented in large PV plants.Highlights A spectrally selective mirror for PV power boosting. Transparent conductive oxide (TCO) glass integration with mirror reduces the IR concentration approximately 50%. The reduction in thermalisation of PV module from the mirror by 3–5°C. This integration increases the PV module operational life by at least 4 years compared with commercial mirror.

Relationship between module performance and the shading area for modules with different circuit connection mode

Partial shading is very common in photovoltaic (PV) systems. The mismatch losses and hot-spot effects caused by partial shading can not only affect the output power of a solar system, but also can bring security and reliability problems. This paper centers on the silicon crystalline PV module technology subjected to operating conditions with some cells partially or fully shaded. A comparison of the electrical and hot-spot performance results for four different connection mode PV modules without shading and with partial or full shading is presented. Bypass diode of different modules would start up in the different conditions with increasing shading area. We found that the regular half-cell module degraded about 60% than its non-shaded power, which is about 30% less than the other three modules, when the short edges of these modules were shaded. The highest hot-spot temperature of the regular half-cell module was 75.5 °C, which is the lowest among the four modules before the diode started up.

The effect of rain on photovoltaic systems

Photovoltaic technology can be considered a key energy source for the future sustainable development, therefore it's important to carry out a continuous and comprehensive investigation about its actual energy performance in various climatic conditions. More in detail, crystalline silicon technology is currently dominating the market, thus an in-depth assessment on its specific behaviour is essential. In this sense, numerous studies have been performed in the past decades to assess the influence on the energy production of crystalline photovoltaic modules of several factors, such as spectral quality of solar irradiance, temperature, wind speed, soiling, snow etc. but so far the effect of rain appears scarcely investigated. In such a framework, the present work represents a detailed assessment of the rain effect on the performances of crystalline silicon technology, carried out both under a theoretical and experimental viewpoint, with a focus on the temperate climates of European context. Obtained results are promising and confirm that the overall impact of rain can have non-negligible positive influences on the energy productivity of photovoltaic systems, mainly for thermal and optical reasons, paving the way for further studies on the topic.

An Economic Analysis of the Shading Effects of Transmission Lines on Photovoltaic Power Plant Investment Decisions: A Case Study.

In today’s photovoltaic (PV) power plants, traditional crystalline PV modules are the prevalent technology, which is highly susceptible to partial shading due to the risk of irreversible damage. Therefore, it is advisable to explore potential construction sites for objects that might cause shading, including high-voltage transmission towers, whose shading effects can be significant due to their height. By means of innovative simulation, using a model, validated with actual data, this study endeavored to deliver novel information related to the problems of shading by high-voltage transmission lines. In the context of Hungary, it examined the risk factors, technical and economic aspects, and possible solutions important for PV projects. It provides new insight, much needed also at the international level, considering the fact that the extent of the shadows cast by conductors on the surface at low Sun elevations is not known at present and neither are the shading characteristics of conductors between two transmission towers, depending on their height, in winter, when the Sun is low. An added practical benefit of the study is that its technical and economic approaches and the software solutions are all based on the practice of PV system design and construction. Related to the investigated issues, this can facilitate the formulation of the technical and economic aspects of suitable PV power plant building strategies in Hungary.

Performance of Combined PV-Inverter System: Use of Amorphous and Crystalline Panels

This paper is aimed at analyzing the performance of a combined PV-inverter system connected to an external load using either amorphous or crystalline photovoltaic modules. The analysis is based on previous theoretical analysis that uses the efficiency of the PV panel and of the DC/AC inverter as a key parameter. Different configurations using the same energy resource have been simulated to determine the efficiency of the PV panel, DC/AC inverter, and of the whole system. The theoretical process shows that the global efficiency of the photovoltaic system increased from 87.2% in the case of crystalline panels to 96% for amorphous ones. Experimental tests have been run to validate the theoretical analysis. A very good agreement between theoretical results and experimental data has been found within a standard deviation of σ = 0.633 and a maximum deviation of 1%.

A Study of the Electrical Output and Reliability Characteristics of the Crystalline Photovoltaic Module According to the Front Materials

In recent years, various types of installations such as floating photovoltaic (PV) and agri-voltaic systems, and BIPV (building integrated photovoltaic system) have been implemented in PV systems and, accordingly, there is a growing demand for new PV designs and materials. In particular, in order to install a PV module in a building, it is important to reduce the weight of the module. The PV module in which low-iron, tempered glass is applied to the front surface, which is generally used, has excellent electrical output and reliability characteristics; however, it is heavy. In order to reduce the weight of the PV module, it is necessary to use a film or plastic-based material, as opposed to low-iron, tempered glass, on the front surface. However, if a material other than glass is used on the front of the PV module, various problems such as reduced electrical output and reduced reliability may occur. Therefore, in this paper, a PV module using a film instead of glass as the front surface was fabricated, and a characteristic analysis and reliability test were conducted. First, the transmittance and UV characteristics of each material were tested, and one-cell and 24-cell PV modules were fabricated and tested for electrical output and reliability. From the results, it was found that the transmittance and UV characteristics of the front material were excellent. In addition, the electrical output and reliability test results confirmed that the front-surface film was appropriate for use in a PV module.

Photovoltaic Modules Selection from Shading Effects on Different Materials

This study aims to provide photovoltaic module selection with better performance in the shading condition for improving production efficiency and reducing photovoltaic system investment cost through the symmetry concept, combining both solar energy mathematical and engineering principles. The study builds a symmetrical photovoltaic model and uses the series-parallel circuit theory, piecewise function and Matlab simulation. The voltage and current output characteristics of commercial photovoltaic modules made of different materials and structures are analyzed and their shading effects are evaluated. The results show that for each photovoltaic module, the output power is directly proportional to the irradiance. The output voltage of the photovoltaic module slightly increases and the output current greatly decreases from no shading to shading. The rate of output power reduction varies for each photovoltaic module type when the irradiance changes. The thin film modules show a lower output power reduction rate than crystalline photovoltaic modules from no shading to shading and they have good adaptability to shading. The use of thin film photovoltaic modules is recommended when the shading condition cannot be avoided.

Design of experiments approach for modeling the electrical response of a photovoltaic module

<p>In the current paper, modeling and evaluation of the significant effect of<br />independent variables on the behavior of the electrical response of a multi-<br />crystalline photovoltaic (PV) module using design of experiments (DoE)<br />approach is simulated. The main purpose of this contribution is to evaluate<br />the maximum power response dependence within the indoor conditions of<br />both variations of solar irradiation and surface temperature and checking the<br />pertinent one on the defined response. The DoE approach is used for<br />estimating both main and combined effect of the two independents<br />considered variables. Multiple linear regression was been introduced to<br />justify the relationship between the independent input variables and<br />dependent output variable, also to determine which input factor is the most<br />significant on the output variable. The DoE model can be used for predicting<br />the response variable at different operating condition in a considered domain<br />study. In addition, DoE approach based on statistical tool for analyzing the<br />accuracy of the predictive model, then the significance of coefficients in the<br />predictive model using statistical and graphical analysis. Therefore, an<br />ANOVA Table can summarize the results, detect the parameters influences<br />on responses variations and determine the best predictive model then<br />reproduce the most possible the experimental data.</p>

Output power loss of crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules due to dust accumulation in Saharan environment

Photovoltaic (PV) module efficiency is much lower when operating in outdoors than under controlled laboratory conditions. Dust accumulation on the surface of PV modules results in lower performance and daily energy losses due to the decrease in glass cover transmittance. These losses in energy output are significant in large PV farms especially in arid and desert areas. In this research, the effect of dust accumulation on the performance of crystalline PV modules was investigated experimentally under outdoor conditions in a Saharan environment at the city of Ouargla, Southeast of Algeria. In addition, the power generation of a 30 MW grid-connected PV power plant installed in the same area before, during and after a sandstorm was evaluated. The results showed that approximately 4.36 g/m2 of dust accumulated on the PV module's surface after 8 weeks of outdoor exposure without cleaning. This caused a drop in PV energy production of 8.41%, 6.10% and 0.51% in maximum power output, short circuit current and open circuit voltage respectively in comparison to a cleaned PV module. Furthermore, deposited dust on the surface of the PV modules at this farm from this sandstorm led to a 32% reduction in generated energy (i.e. 5.18 MWh).

Reliability Study of c-Si PV Module Mounted on a Concrete Slab by Thermal Cycling Using Electroluminescence Scanning: Application in Future Solar Roadways

Several tests were conducted to ratify the reliability and durability of the solar photovoltaic (PV) devices before deployment in the real field (non-ideal conditions). In the real field, the temperature of the PV modules was varied during the day and night. Nowadays, people have been bearing in mind the deployment of PV modules on concrete roads to make use of the space accessible on roads. In this regard, a comparative study on the failure and degradation behaviors of crystalline Si PV modules with and without a concrete slab was executed via a thermal cycling stress test. The impact of the concrete slab on the performance degradation of PV modules was evaluated. Electroluminescence (EL) results showed that the defect due to thermal cycling (TC) stress was reduced in the PV module with a concrete slab. The power loss due to the thermal cycling was reduced by approximately 1% using a concrete slab for 200 cycles. The Rsh value was reduced to approximately 91% and 71% after thermal cycling of 200 cycles for reference PV modules, respectively. The value of I0 was increased to approximately 3.1 and 2.9 times the initial value for the PV modules without and with concrete, respectively.

Increased reliability of modified polyolefin backsheet over commonly used polyester backsheets for crystalline PV modules

ABSTRACTThe weathering stability of polymeric backsheets is very important for the reliability of photovoltaic (PV) modules. In addition to reliability, cost reduction and sustainability are upcoming challenges the PV backsheet industry is facing with. The most commonly used material for PV backsheets is poly(ethylene‐terephthalate)‐PET. However, PET is in general very sensitive to hydrolysis, which leads to chain scission and causes embrittlement, cracking, delamination, and dimensional instability of the backsheet. Compared to that newly developed modified polyolefin backsheets have favorable selective permeation properties and high mechanical flexibility, which could be key properties for backsheets in terms of higher PV module reliability. In this work, the weathering stability of PET/fluoropolymer backsheet and an alternative coextruded polyolefin‐backsheet was investigated in terms of thermal and mechanical stability. Both materials were artificially aged and the changes caused by aging were investigated. The polyester‐based backsheet showed embrittlement and reduced elongation at break for 70%. The polyolefin‐based backsheet retained its mechanical flexibility even after 2000 h of aging under damp‐heat conditions, with no significant physical or chemical aging processes occurring. The comparison of the results of both backsheets suggests that the polyolefin backsheet is a promising candidate for the reduction of cracks and delamination in the field. © 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2020, 137, 48899.

Performance evaluation of roof top solar photovoltaic systems in Tamilnadu

This manuscript reports the monitored performance results of roof top solar photovoltaic (PV) power plants in different parts of Tamilnadu, India. In this work, PV plants of capacities 84 kWp and 18 kWp located at Tirunelveli and Ranipet respectively in Tamilnadu are considered. During an eight month period, of September 2014 to April 2015, these plants had generated 43.99 MWh and 15.55 MWh units of electricity respectively. The average electricity production per day for the considered period of these plants is 181.74 kWh and 62.81 kWh respectively. The performance ratio (PR) of these plants PV1 and PV2 is found to be 0.52 and 0.86 respectively. The characteristics of poly crystalline PV modules and the performance of employed photovoltaic inverters are also analyzed.It is observed that external conditions like climate and bad weather significantly reduces the PV system output, whereas it reduces marginally due to inverter failure as observed from the values of energy yield and performance ratio of these plants. Online monitoring of PV plant with DC/AC line and phase voltages and current waveforms observed for the given day are also presented.

Mathematical Modeling of Photovoltaic Module with Simulink

Solar Energy is a good choice for electric power generation, since the solar energy is directly converted into electrical energy by solar photovoltaic modules Solar cells generates most of their electricity from direct sunlight. However, they also generate electricity on cloudy days and some systems can even generate very small amounts of electricity on bright moonlit nights. Individual solar cells typically only generate tiny amounts of electrical energy. To make useful amounts of electricity, these cells are connected together to make a solar module, otherwise known as a solar panel or, to be more precise, a photovoltaic module.The PV model plays an important role in the accuracy of the time simulation of the PV cell model. Modeling of PV cell involves the estimation of the I–V and P–V characteristics curves to emulate the real cell under various environmental conditions Photovoltaic (PV) model is used in a simulation study to validate the system design of a PV system. This paper presents modeling of Photo- voltaic (PV) module using MATLAB/SIMULINK. The model is developed on the basis of mathematical model of the PV module. The PV module of SN72-CELL-POLY CRYSTALLINE PV MODULE SN325P is selected for the experimental and technical data to analyze the developed model. The output current and power characteristic curves highly depend on some climatic factors such as solar radiation and temperature, are obtained by simulation for the selected module with the output power of 325 W .The objective of this paper is to develop a model to simulate the behavior of a photovoltaic cell. The achieved Voc voltage and current values from I-V and P-V characteristics are compared with module data sheet both models are implemented in MATLAB /SIMULINK. The “five-parameter model” is a performance model for photovoltaic solar cells that predicts the voltage and current output by representing the cells as an equivalent electrical circuit with radiation and temperature-dependent components. An important feature of the five-parameter model is that its parameters can be determined using data commonly provided by module manufacturers on their published datasheets.