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Title: Investigation of the Impact of Illumination on the Polarization-Type Potential-Induced Degradation of Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Modules

Abstract

Accelerated potential-induced degradation (PID) testing of photovoltaic modules is conventionally conducted in the dark and at high temperature and humidity levels without considering the influence of illumination. This study investigates the impact of illumination on the polarization-type PID (PID-p) on two different types of encapsulated (glass/backsheet) crystalline silicon solar cells: 1) n-type bifacial passivated emitter rear totally diffused (the front side is facing glass and PID-stressed); and 2) p-type bifacial passivated emitter and rear cell (the rear side is facing glass and PID-stressed). The samples are stressed under the conditions of -1000 V, 40 degrees C, and 40% relative humidity and at different irradiance levels (xenon lamps). While the type-A modules show no reduction in PID-p sensitivity under illumination up to 800 W/m2, PID-p in the type-B modules is arrested by the light at an irradiance level as low as 10 W/m2. Furthermore, PID-degraded type-B modules (degradation induced in the dark) exhibit a rapid recovery (full recovery in 20 min) upon exposure to light (40 W/m2). External quantum efficiency measurements on the type-B modules show that ultraviolet from 300 to 400 nm is mainly responsible for the fast recovery.

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [1];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [1];  [1]
  1. Solar Research Inst. of Singapore (Singapore)
  2. 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:
1461374
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5K00-71980
Journal ID: ISSN 2156-3381
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC36-08GO28308
Resource Type:
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; crystalline silicon solar cells; n-passivated emitter rear totally diffused (PERT) bifacial solar cells; photovoltaic (PV) module reliability; potential-induced degradation (PID); p-type bifacial PERC solar cells; surface polarization

Citation Formats

Luo, Wei, Hacke, Peter, Hsian, Saw Min, Wang, Yan, Aberle, Armin G., Ramakrishna, Seeram, and Khoo, Yong Sheng. Investigation of the Impact of Illumination on the Polarization-Type Potential-Induced Degradation of Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Modules. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1109/JPHOTOV.2018.2843791.
Luo, Wei, Hacke, Peter, Hsian, Saw Min, Wang, Yan, Aberle, Armin G., Ramakrishna, Seeram, & Khoo, Yong Sheng. Investigation of the Impact of Illumination on the Polarization-Type Potential-Induced Degradation of Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Modules. United States. https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2018.2843791
Luo, Wei, Hacke, Peter, Hsian, Saw Min, Wang, Yan, Aberle, Armin G., Ramakrishna, Seeram, and Khoo, Yong Sheng. Fri . "Investigation of the Impact of Illumination on the Polarization-Type Potential-Induced Degradation of Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Modules". United States. https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2018.2843791. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1461374.
@article{osti_1461374,
title = {Investigation of the Impact of Illumination on the Polarization-Type Potential-Induced Degradation of Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Modules},
author = {Luo, Wei and Hacke, Peter and Hsian, Saw Min and Wang, Yan and Aberle, Armin G. and Ramakrishna, Seeram and Khoo, Yong Sheng},
abstractNote = {Accelerated potential-induced degradation (PID) testing of photovoltaic modules is conventionally conducted in the dark and at high temperature and humidity levels without considering the influence of illumination. This study investigates the impact of illumination on the polarization-type PID (PID-p) on two different types of encapsulated (glass/backsheet) crystalline silicon solar cells: 1) n-type bifacial passivated emitter rear totally diffused (the front side is facing glass and PID-stressed); and 2) p-type bifacial passivated emitter and rear cell (the rear side is facing glass and PID-stressed). The samples are stressed under the conditions of -1000 V, 40 degrees C, and 40% relative humidity and at different irradiance levels (xenon lamps). While the type-A modules show no reduction in PID-p sensitivity under illumination up to 800 W/m2, PID-p in the type-B modules is arrested by the light at an irradiance level as low as 10 W/m2. Furthermore, PID-degraded type-B modules (degradation induced in the dark) exhibit a rapid recovery (full recovery in 20 min) upon exposure to light (40 W/m2). External quantum efficiency measurements on the type-B modules show that ultraviolet from 300 to 400 nm is mainly responsible for the fast recovery.},
doi = {10.1109/JPHOTOV.2018.2843791},
journal = {IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics},
number = 5,
volume = 8,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Jun 22 00:00:00 EDT 2018},
month = {Fri Jun 22 00:00:00 EDT 2018}
}

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Figures / Tables:

Fig. 1. Fig. 1.: (a) Type-A modules using n-PERT bifacial solar cells. (b) Type-B modules using p-PERC+ solar cells. The type-B module is shown upside down so that the solar cell is in the conventional direction. The schematic is not drawn to scale.

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Works referencing / citing this record:

Microstructural Analysis of Local Silicon Corrosion of Bifacial Solar Cells as Root Cause of Potential‐Induced Degradation at the Rear Side
journal, August 2019

  • Sporleder, Kai; Naumann, Volker; Bauer, Jan
  • physica status solidi (a), Vol. 216, Issue 17
  • DOI: 10.1002/pssa.201900334

Local Corrosion of Silicon as Root Cause for Potential‐Induced Degradation at the Rear Side of Bifacial PERC Solar Cells
journal, May 2019

  • Sporleder, Kai; Naumann, Volker; Bauer, Jan
  • physica status solidi (RRL) – Rapid Research Letters, Vol. 13, Issue 9
  • DOI: 10.1002/pssr.201900163

Microstructural Analysis of Local Silicon Corrosion of Bifacial Solar Cells as Root Cause of Potential‐Induced Degradation at the Rear Side
journal, July 2019

  • Sporleder, Kai; Naumann, Volker; Bauer, Jan
  • physica status solidi (a), Vol. 216, Issue 17
  • DOI: 10.1002/pssa.201970056

Figures/Tables have been extracted from DOE-funded journal article accepted manuscripts.