Correlation of UV Fluorescence Images With Performance Loss of Field-Retrieved Photovoltaic Modules

Li, Fang; Buddha, Viswa Sai Pavan; Schneller, Eric J.; Iqbal, Nafis; Colvin, Dylan J.; Davis, Kristopher O.; TamizhMani, GovindaSamy

doi:10.1109/jphotov.2021.3075865

Correlation of UV Fluorescence Images With Performance Loss of Field-Retrieved Photovoltaic Modules

Journal Article · Wed Jun 02 00:00:00 EDT 2021 · IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/jphotov.2021.3075865· OSTI ID:2278982

^[1]; Buddha, Viswa Sai Pavan ^[2]; ^[3]; ^[3]; ^[3]; ^[3]; TamizhMani, GovindaSamy ^[2]

Arizona State Univ., Mesa, AZ (United States); Arizona State University
Arizona State Univ., Mesa, AZ (United States)
Univ. of Central Florida, Orlando, FL (United States)

The ultraviolet fluorescence (UVF) imaging method has been widely used as a rapid and economic field inspection tool for investigating encapsulant discoloration of field-aged photovoltaic (PV) modules. In field-aged PV modules, encapsulant discoloration can result in a pronounced decrease in the short-circuit current. The spatial distribution of environmental stressors and therefore discoloration pattern over each cell of a module depends on the climate. Here, in this article, we investigated the discoloration patterns (and their correlation with electrical parameters of modules and the extracted-cells from the modules) of ten modules produced at the same manufacturing facility and retrieved respectively from two distinct climates of Arizona (hot-dry; seven modules; 18 years of exposure) and Florida (hot-humid; three modules; ten years of exposure). In the Arizona modules, three distinct spatial patterns were observed in the UVF images: cell center region (intense browning); cell edge region (no browning); region between cell center; and cell edge region (light browning). However, in the Florida modules, only two distinct spatial distributions were observed: nonedge cell region (medium browning) and cell edge region (no browning). Furthermore, we employed a high-contrast UVF imaging technique to correlate the interdependence between the encapsulant discoloration pattern and the metallization/contact degradation pattern. For this correlative study, various experimental characterizations were carried out on both field-aged (Arizona and Florida) and unexposed modules and the cells extracted from the modules of the same model and they include: processed UVF and EL images, and I-V, TLM, optical microscopy, and XPS measurements.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Arizona State Univ., Mesa, AZ (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office

Grant/Contract Number:: EE0008155

OSTI ID:: 2278982

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1848690

Journal Information:: IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics, Journal Name: IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 11; ISSN 2156-3381

Publisher:: IEEECopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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14 SOLAR ENERGY
contact resistance
corrosion
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performance degradation
short-circuit current
ultraviolet fluorescence imaging

Correlation of UV Fluorescence Images With Performance Loss of Field-Retrieved Photovoltaic Modules

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References (43)

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