System performance loss due to LeTID. (September 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kersten, Friederike; Fertig, Fabian; Petter, Kai; Klöter, Bernhard; Herzog, Evelyn; Strobel, Matthias B.; Heitmann, Johannes; Müller, Jörg W.
• Is Part Of: Energy procedia. Volume 124(2017)
• Page Start: 540
• Page End: 546
• Publication Date: 2017-09
• Subjects: mc-Si PERC -- light-induced degradation; Power resources -- Congresses; Power resources -- Periodicals; Power resources; Conference proceedings; Periodicals; 333.7905
• DOI: 10.1016/j.egypro.2017.09.260
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1876-6102

Abstract

Abstract: If not adequately suppressed, Light and elevated Temperature Induced Degradation (LeTID) has been shown to cause severe degradation of multicrystalline (mc-Si) silicon solar cells and modules with passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC). Within this work, the system performance of LeTID-sensitive mc-Si modules is investigated when operated in temperate and mediterranean climates, and a correlation to predict the observed field performance based on accelerated laboratory testing is presented. Severe degradation induced by LeTID of up to 7% in maximum output power is detected after one thousand hours of laboratory testing, which is shown to correspond to ~ 3 years of field installation time in Cyprus. In contrast, LeTID-sensitive modules installed in Germany show a degradation of 2.5% within the same time period. Due to lower irradiance values and module temperature in Germany the LeTID rate is lower than in Cyprus. A significant dependence of system performance loss and energy yield due to LeTID on installation site is shown. Hence, the loss in system performance due to LeTID affects one-to-one the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) compared to reference without LeTID. Furthermore, it is shown that LeTID in the field can be suppressed by applying Hanwha Q CELLS' Q.ANTUM technology, independently of installation site.