Metastable electrical characteristics of polycrystalline thin-film photovoltaic modules upon exposure and stabilization

Chris A. Deline; Joseph A. del Cueto; David S. Albin; Steve R. Rummel

doi:10.1117/12.893813

13 September 2011 Metastable electrical characteristics of polycrystalline thin-film photovoltaic modules upon exposure and stabilization

Chris A. Deline, Joseph A. del Cueto, David S. Albin, Steve R. Rummel

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 8112, Reliability of Photovoltaic Cells, Modules, Components, and Systems IV; 81120T (2011) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.893813
Event: SPIE Solar Energy + Technology, 2011, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

The significant features of a series of stabilization experiments conducted at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) between May 2009 and the present are reported. These experiments evaluated a procedure to stabilize the measured performance of thin-film polycrystalline cadmium telluride (CdTe) and copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin-film photovoltaic (PV) modules. The current-voltage (I-V) characteristics of CdTe and CIGS thin-film PV devices and modules exhibit transitory changes in electrical performance after thermal exposure in the dark and/or bias and light exposures. We present the results of our case studies of module performance versus exposure: light-soaked at 65°C; exposed in the dark under forward bias at 65°C; and, finally, longer-term outdoor exposure. We find that stabilization can be achieved to varying degrees using either light-soaking or dark bias methods and that the existing IEC 61646 light-soaking interval may be appropriate for CdTe and CIGS modules with one caveat: it is likely that at least three exposure intervals are required for stabilization.

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Chris A. Deline, Joseph A. del Cueto, David S. Albin, and Steve R. Rummel "Metastable electrical characteristics of polycrystalline thin-film photovoltaic modules upon exposure and stabilization", Proc. SPIE 8112, Reliability of Photovoltaic Cells, Modules, Components, and Systems IV, 81120T (13 September 2011); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.893813

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