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Title: Metastable Electrical Characteristics of Polycrystalline Thin-Film Photovoltaic Modules upon Exposure and Stabilization: Preprint

Abstract

The significant features of a series of stabilization experiments conducted at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) between May 2009 and the present are reported. These experiments evaluated a procedure to stabilize the measured performance of thin-film polycrystalline cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin-film photovoltaic (PV) modules. Thecurrent-voltage (I-V) characteristics of CdTe and CIGS thin-film PV devices and modules exhibit transitory changes in electrical performance after thermal exposure in the dark and/or bias and light exposures. We present the results of our case studies of module performance versus exposure: light-soaked at 65 degrees C; exposed in the dark under forward bias at 65 degrees C; and, finally,longer-term outdoor exposure. We find that stabilization can be achieved to varying degrees using either light-soaking or dark bias methods and that the existing IEC 61646 light-soaking interval may be appropriate for CdTe and CIGS modules with one caveat: it is likely that at least three exposure intervals are required for stabilization.

Authors:
; ; ;
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
OSTI Identifier:
1026576
Report Number(s):
NREL/CP-5200-52441
Journal ID: ISSN 0277-786X; TRN: US201120%%909
DOE Contract Number:  
AC36-08GO28308
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Journal Volume: 8112; Conference: Presented at SPIE Optics + Photonics 2011, 21-25 August 2011, San Diego, California
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; CADMIUM TELLURIDES; COPPER; GALLIUM; INDIUM; NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY; OPTICS; OUTDOORS; PERFORMANCE; STABILIZATION; thin films; photovoltaic; PV; transients; metastability; CdTe; CIGS; IEC 61646

Citation Formats

Deline, C A, del Cueto, J A, Albin, D S, and Rummel, S R. Metastable Electrical Characteristics of Polycrystalline Thin-Film Photovoltaic Modules upon Exposure and Stabilization: Preprint. United States: N. p., 2011. Web. doi:10.1117/12.893813.
Deline, C A, del Cueto, J A, Albin, D S, & Rummel, S R. Metastable Electrical Characteristics of Polycrystalline Thin-Film Photovoltaic Modules upon Exposure and Stabilization: Preprint. United States. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.893813
Deline, C A, del Cueto, J A, Albin, D S, and Rummel, S R. 2011. "Metastable Electrical Characteristics of Polycrystalline Thin-Film Photovoltaic Modules upon Exposure and Stabilization: Preprint". United States. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.893813. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1026576.
@article{osti_1026576,
title = {Metastable Electrical Characteristics of Polycrystalline Thin-Film Photovoltaic Modules upon Exposure and Stabilization: Preprint},
author = {Deline, C A and del Cueto, J A and Albin, D S and Rummel, S R},
abstractNote = {The significant features of a series of stabilization experiments conducted at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) between May 2009 and the present are reported. These experiments evaluated a procedure to stabilize the measured performance of thin-film polycrystalline cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin-film photovoltaic (PV) modules. Thecurrent-voltage (I-V) characteristics of CdTe and CIGS thin-film PV devices and modules exhibit transitory changes in electrical performance after thermal exposure in the dark and/or bias and light exposures. We present the results of our case studies of module performance versus exposure: light-soaked at 65 degrees C; exposed in the dark under forward bias at 65 degrees C; and, finally,longer-term outdoor exposure. We find that stabilization can be achieved to varying degrees using either light-soaking or dark bias methods and that the existing IEC 61646 light-soaking interval may be appropriate for CdTe and CIGS modules with one caveat: it is likely that at least three exposure intervals are required for stabilization.},
doi = {10.1117/12.893813},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1026576}, journal = {},
issn = {0277-786X},
number = ,
volume = 8112,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2011},
month = {Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2011}
}

Conference:
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