THERMAL DEGRADATION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC PANELS: EVALUATIONS USING A RANGE OF TESTING METHODS

摘要

Photovoltaic (PV) cells are prone to thermal degradation in time, therefore they have to be monitored. When their parameters reach critically low values, they must be replaced. The aim of the present study is to explore a range of testing methods for such a monitoring, including: Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and hardness measurements. Two categories of samples are considered for the study: new PV cells and used PV cells. The latter have been exposed to various atmospheric conditions for several years, the most significant being the temperature influence. Differences in the structure and properties of the two categories of PVs are assessed using the three methods above. A good concordance between the results of the comparisons made between used and new PVs has been obtained using all methods considered. The significance of the characteristic parameters of the PVs involved in each testing is discussed.