Analysis of the Long-Term Performance Degradation of Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Modules in Tropical Climates

For this study, the long-term performance degradation of five different types of commercial crystalline silicon (c-Si) photovoltaic (PV) modules (one sample for each type) in the tropics, or more specifically the tropical rainforest climate 'Af' by the Koppen climate classification (Singap...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:IEEE journal of photovoltaics 2018-11, Vol.9 (1)
Main Authors: Luo, Wei, Khoo, Yong Sheng, Hacke, Peter L, Jordan, Dirk, Zhao, Lu, Ramakrishna, Seeram, Aberle, Armin G., Reindl, Thomas
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
crystalline silicon modules
degradation modes
degradation rates
long-term module performance
MATERIALS SCIENCE
photovoltaics
SOLAR ENERGY
tropics
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Summary:For this study, the long-term performance degradation of five different types of commercial crystalline silicon (c-Si) photovoltaic (PV) modules (one sample for each type) in the tropics, or more specifically the tropical rainforest climate 'Af' by the Koppen climate classification (Singapore), is investigated over a period of seven years, based on outdoor I-V measurements at 10-s intervals. The degradation rates of these c-Si PV modules, based on the temperature-corrected performance ratio, range from -0.03 to -0.47%/year, which satisfy the products' performance warranty. Further analysis of the short-circuit current (I sc), open-circuit voltage, and fill factor for these modules shows that the performance degradation is mainly attributed to the l sc loss. Lastly, the possible causes of the module performance deterioration are also discussed.
ISSN:2156-3381
2156-3403