Review of PV module performance at DOE/MIT Lincoln Laboratory test sites during the period 1977 to 1982
During the years 1977 to 1982, over 11,000 photovoltaic (PV) modules have been placed at experimental PV power generating systems in a number of field test sites in the United States. Prominent among these are a 100-kW system at Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah, a 25-kWp system at Mead, Nebraska, and a 15-kW system at Bryan, Ohio. Through a program of periodic surveillance, measurements, and inspections at the aforementioned sites, electrically failed modules were located, removed and analyzed during this six-year period. The principal causes of failure were: (1) cells cracked due to weathering or internal module stresses, (2) failed solder joints, (3) interconnects not soldered to rear sides of cells at assembly, (4) cells or interconnects electrically shorted to metallic substrates, and (5) broken or split interconnects. Details and photographs of many of the different types of failures are presented and some of the analysis techniques used to locate the failures are described.
- Research Organization:
- Massachusetts Inst. of Tech., Lexington (USA). Lincoln Lab.
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76ET20279
- OSTI ID:
- 6748260
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ET/20279-227; CONF-820906-10; ON: DE83001136
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 16. IEEE photovoltaics specialists conference, San Diego, CA, USA, 28 Sep 1982
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
SOLAR CELLS
FAILURES
FIELD TESTS
PERFORMANCE
CRACKS
ELECTRIC CONTACTS
ELECTRICAL FAULTS
INSPECTION
NATURAL BRIDGES NATIONAL MONUMENT
NEBRASKA
OHIO
SOLDERED JOINTS
SURFACE CONTAMINATION
WEATHERING
CONTAMINATION
DIRECT ENERGY CONVERTERS
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
EQUIPMENT
FEDERAL REGION V
FEDERAL REGION VII
JOINTS
NORTH AMERICA
PHOTOELECTRIC CELLS
PHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS
PUBLIC LANDS
SOLAR EQUIPMENT
TESTING
USA
140501* - Solar Energy Conversion- Photovoltaic Conversion