Performance degradation of grid-tied photovoltaic modules in a desert climatic condition
Description
Photovoltaic (PV) modules appear to have three classifications of failure: Infant mortality, normal-life failure, and end-of-life failure. Little is known of the end-of-life failures experienced by PV modules due to their inherent longevity. Accelerated Life Testing (ALT) has been at the crux of this lifespan prediction; however, without naturally failing modules an accurate acceleration factor cannot be determined for use in ALT. By observing modules that have been aged in the field, a comparison can be made with modules undergoing accelerated testing. In this study an investigation on about 1900 aged (10-17 years) grid-tied PV modules installed in the desert climatic condition of Arizona was undertaken. The investigation was comprised of a check sheet that documented any visual defects and their severity, infrared (IR) scanning, and current-voltage (I-V) curve measurements. After data was collected on modules, an analysis was performed to classify the failure modes and to determine the annual performance degradation rates.
Date Created
The date the item was original created (prior to any relationship with the ASU Digital Repositories.)
2010
Agent
- Author (aut): Suleske, Adam Alfred
- Thesis advisor (ths): Tamizhmani, Govindasamy
- Committee member: Rogers, Bradley
- Committee member: Macia, Narciso
- Publisher (pbl): Arizona State University