Quality

Researchers in Saudi Arabia have developed a hydrogel composite that absorbs moisture in solar modules overnight and facilitates evaporative cooling throughout daylight hours. The system has undergone lab tests and outdoor experiments on two continents.

Independent testing laboratory Kiwa-PVEL today published the 11th edition of its PV Module Reliability Scorecard, having extensively tested PV modules from 50 different manufacturers. The scorecard reveals improvements in energy yield per watt-peak and resistance to potential-induced degradation, but an increase in breakage under mechanical stress and hail simulations, and an overall higher failure rate are cause for concern to many.

Scientists have developed a way to compare the data given by PV manufacturers based on standard test conditions (STC) to the real conditions in the field. The proposed technique is based on the single-diode model and the Newton-Raphson algorithm. The maximum relative error was found to be at 1.37%.

A three-year field experiment comparing the performance and reliability of passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC), tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon), and silicon heterojunction (SHJ) modules in desert climates found that HJT modules exhibited the highest degradation, while TOPCon modules showed the lowest degradation.

Scientists in Qatar have outlined a new approach to optimize residential bifacial PV systems by combining south-facing and vertically mounted east-facing configurations. The novel methodology reportedly results in a 21.6% increase in a system’s net present value.

Turkey-based Seven says its new product can measure irradiance in a range of 0 W/m² to 4,000 W/m², with a resolution of 0.1 W/m². It can also measure humidity and temperature.

Scientists in Spain have investigated the total or partial interruptions of ribbons that connect solar cells in modules and have proposed a classification based on their type and location.

A team of researchers in Algeria has designed a new testbed and a novel acceleration law that accounts for both wind speed and sand density. The new methodology was tested on four PV modules and showed lifespans of up to 47 years in terms of sand impact.

A research group in Japan identified a correlation between damp heat test of 1,000 hours to 3–6 years of field exposure in humid areas and changes in acetic acid concentration in photovoltaic modules. Their analysis also showed that an acetic acid concentration over 10,000 μg/g can be critical.

Scientists in Indonesia have investigated early operational defects in a 24.9 MW solar PV system in Sumatra and have identified hotspot formation as the dominant defect. They also detected 282 cases of glass cracking, 350 cases of junction box failures and shading effects linked to module defects.