PV Lifetime Project: Measuring PV Module Performance Degradation: 2018 Indoor Flash Testing Results

Conference · Wed Nov 28 23:00:00 EST 2018

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/PVSC.2018.8547397· OSTI ID:1508501

Stein, Joshua S. ^[1]; Robinson, Charles ^[1]; King, Bruce ^[1]; Deline, Christopher A ^[2]; Rummel, Steven R ^[2]; Sekulic, William R ^[2]

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1. Sandia National Laboratories
2. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Photovoltaic (PV) module and system performance degradation is being measured by periodic flash testing of fielded PV modules at three sites. As of early 2018, results from modules fielded in New Mexico and Colorado are now available. These data indicate that module degradation varies significantly between module types and can also vary between modules of the same model. In addition, degradation rates for some module types appear to vary over time. Great care is made to control for stability and repeatability in the measurements over time, but there is still a +/-0.5% uncertainty in flash test stability. Therefore, it will take several more years for degradation rate results to be known with higher confidence.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Solar Energy Technologies Office (EE-4S)
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-08GO28308
• OSTI ID: 1508501
• Report Number(s): NREL/CP-5K00-73741
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
degradation
lifetime estimation
photovoltaic cells
solar energy