Review of degradation and failure phenomena in photovoltaic modules

Aghaei, M. et al. (2022) Review of degradation and failure phenomena in photovoltaic modules. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 159, 112160. (doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2022.112160)

Abstract

The degradation of photovoltaic (PV) systems is one of the key factors to address in order to reduce the cost of the electricity produced by increasing the operational lifetime of PV systems. To reduce the degradation, it is imperative to know the degradation and failure phenomena. This review article has been prepared to present an overview of the state-of-the-art knowledge on the reliability of PV modules. Whilst the most common technology today is mono- and multi-crystalline silicon, this article aims to give a generic summary which is relevant for a wider range of photovoltaic technologies including cadmium telluride, copper indium gallium selenide and emerging low-cost high-efficiency technologies. The review consists of three parts: firstly, a brief contextual summary about reliability metrics and how reliability is measured. Secondly, a summary of the main stress factors and how they influence module degradation. Finally, a detailed review of degradation and failure modes, which has been partitioned by the individual component within a PV module. This section connects the degradation phenomena and failure modes to the module component, and its effects on the PV system. Building on this knowledge, strategies to improve the operational lifetime of PV systems and thus, to reduce the electricity cost can be devised. Through extensive testing and failure analysis, researchers now have a much better overview of stressors and their impact on long term stability.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This review article is based upon work from COST Action CA16235 PEARL PV, WG2, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). COST is a funding agency for research and innovation networks.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Kettle, Professor Jeff
• Authors: Aghaei, M., Fairbrother, A., Gok, A., Ahmad, S., Kazim, S., Lobato, K., Oreski, G., Reinders, A., Schmitz, J., Theelen, M., Yilmaz, P., and Kettle, J.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Electronics and Nanoscale Engineering
• Journal Name: Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews
• Publisher: Elsevier
• ISSN: 1364-0321
• ISSN (Online): 1879-0690
• Published Online: 03 February 2022
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 159: 112160
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence