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Title: Partial Shade Stress Test for Thin-Film Photovoltaic Modules: Preprint

Abstract

Partial shade of monolithic thin-film PV modules can cause reverse-bias conditions leading to permanent damage. In this work, we propose a partial shade stress test for thin-film PV modules that quantifies permanent performance loss. We designed the test with the aid of a computer model that predicts the local voltage, current and temperature stress that result from partial shade. The model predicts the module-scale interactions among the illumination pattern, the electrical properties of the photovoltaic material and the thermal properties of the module package. The test reproduces shading and loading conditions that may occur in the field. It accounts for reversible light-induced performance changes and for additional stress that may be introduced by light-enhanced reverse breakdown. We present simulated and experimental results from the application of the proposed test.

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:
1225508
Report Number(s):
NREL/CP-5J00-64456
DOE Contract Number:  
AC36-08GO28308
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: SPIE Optics + Photonics;San Diego; -
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; photovoltaics; thin film; reliability; simulation

Citation Formats

Silverman, Timothy J., Deceglie, Michael G., Deline, Chris, and Kurtz, Sarah. Partial Shade Stress Test for Thin-Film Photovoltaic Modules: Preprint. United States: N. p., 2015. Web.
Silverman, Timothy J., Deceglie, Michael G., Deline, Chris, & Kurtz, Sarah. Partial Shade Stress Test for Thin-Film Photovoltaic Modules: Preprint. United States.
Silverman, Timothy J., Deceglie, Michael G., Deline, Chris, and Kurtz, Sarah. 2015. "Partial Shade Stress Test for Thin-Film Photovoltaic Modules: Preprint". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1225508.
@article{osti_1225508,
title = {Partial Shade Stress Test for Thin-Film Photovoltaic Modules: Preprint},
author = {Silverman, Timothy J. and Deceglie, Michael G. and Deline, Chris and Kurtz, Sarah},
abstractNote = {Partial shade of monolithic thin-film PV modules can cause reverse-bias conditions leading to permanent damage. In this work, we propose a partial shade stress test for thin-film PV modules that quantifies permanent performance loss. We designed the test with the aid of a computer model that predicts the local voltage, current and temperature stress that result from partial shade. The model predicts the module-scale interactions among the illumination pattern, the electrical properties of the photovoltaic material and the thermal properties of the module package. The test reproduces shading and loading conditions that may occur in the field. It accounts for reversible light-induced performance changes and for additional stress that may be introduced by light-enhanced reverse breakdown. We present simulated and experimental results from the application of the proposed test.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1225508}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Sep 02 00:00:00 EDT 2015},
month = {Wed Sep 02 00:00:00 EDT 2015}
}

Conference:
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