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Title: Quantitative Electroluminescence Imaging Analysis for Performance Estimation of PID-Influenced PV Modules

Abstract

An empirical method for estimating relative power losses caused by potential-induced degradation (PID) for p-type solar cells and modules using quantitative electroluminescence (EL) analysis (QELA) is presented. First, EL images are corrected for camera- and perspective distortion. The relative power loss map is then calculated from the logarithmic ratio of two EL images, taken either before and after PID degradation or at different applied currents. Only the cell average of the resulting power loss map is evaluated. The highest power loss across each string is averaged to obtain the overall power loss. Consequently, for modules with three strings, three cells are averaged. The resulting power loss depends on the current applied. The conversion to equivalent irradiance allows for comparison of measured and estimated device performance. The analysis of roughly 2000 EL images and related current-voltage (I-V) curves indicates a good agreement between flash-test-measured and performance estimated using QELA. A relative root mean square error of 1-3% can be achieved.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [2];  [2];  [2]; ORCiD logo [3];  [2];  [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1]
  1. Solar Energy Research Inst. of Singapore (Singapore)
  2. Trina Solar, Changzhou (China)
  3. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
OSTI Identifier:
1464918
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5K00-72198
Journal ID: ISSN 2156-3381
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC36-08GO28308
Resource Type:
Journal Article: Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 8; Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 2156-3381
Publisher:
IEEE
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; electroluminescence (EL); metrology; performance evaluation; photovoltaic (PV) modules; potential-induced degradation (PID); solar cells

Citation Formats

Bedrich, Karl G., Luo, Wei, Pravettoni, Mauro, Chen, Daming, Chen, Yifeng, Wang, Zigang, Verlinden, Pierre J., Hacke, Peter, Feng, Zhiqiang, Chai, Jing, Wang, Yan, Aberle, Armin G., and Khoo, Yong Sheng. Quantitative Electroluminescence Imaging Analysis for Performance Estimation of PID-Influenced PV Modules. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1109/JPHOTOV.2018.2846665.
Bedrich, Karl G., Luo, Wei, Pravettoni, Mauro, Chen, Daming, Chen, Yifeng, Wang, Zigang, Verlinden, Pierre J., Hacke, Peter, Feng, Zhiqiang, Chai, Jing, Wang, Yan, Aberle, Armin G., & Khoo, Yong Sheng. Quantitative Electroluminescence Imaging Analysis for Performance Estimation of PID-Influenced PV Modules. United States. https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2018.2846665
Bedrich, Karl G., Luo, Wei, Pravettoni, Mauro, Chen, Daming, Chen, Yifeng, Wang, Zigang, Verlinden, Pierre J., Hacke, Peter, Feng, Zhiqiang, Chai, Jing, Wang, Yan, Aberle, Armin G., and Khoo, Yong Sheng. 2018. "Quantitative Electroluminescence Imaging Analysis for Performance Estimation of PID-Influenced PV Modules". United States. https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2018.2846665. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1464918.
@article{osti_1464918,
title = {Quantitative Electroluminescence Imaging Analysis for Performance Estimation of PID-Influenced PV Modules},
author = {Bedrich, Karl G. and Luo, Wei and Pravettoni, Mauro and Chen, Daming and Chen, Yifeng and Wang, Zigang and Verlinden, Pierre J. and Hacke, Peter and Feng, Zhiqiang and Chai, Jing and Wang, Yan and Aberle, Armin G. and Khoo, Yong Sheng},
abstractNote = {An empirical method for estimating relative power losses caused by potential-induced degradation (PID) for p-type solar cells and modules using quantitative electroluminescence (EL) analysis (QELA) is presented. First, EL images are corrected for camera- and perspective distortion. The relative power loss map is then calculated from the logarithmic ratio of two EL images, taken either before and after PID degradation or at different applied currents. Only the cell average of the resulting power loss map is evaluated. The highest power loss across each string is averaged to obtain the overall power loss. Consequently, for modules with three strings, three cells are averaged. The resulting power loss depends on the current applied. The conversion to equivalent irradiance allows for comparison of measured and estimated device performance. The analysis of roughly 2000 EL images and related current-voltage (I-V) curves indicates a good agreement between flash-test-measured and performance estimated using QELA. A relative root mean square error of 1-3% can be achieved.},
doi = {10.1109/JPHOTOV.2018.2846665},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1464918}, journal = {IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics},
issn = {2156-3381},
number = 5,
volume = 8,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jul 13 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Fri Jul 13 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}

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