Comparative experimental study of performance degradation of amorphous silicon and crystalline silicon in outdoor exposed in Cologne

Abstract

The photovoltaic (PV) lifetime and the return-on-investment for local PV system installation rely on long-term device performance. Understanding the efficient degradation behavior under a given set of environmental conditions is, therefore, a primary goal for experimental research and economic analysis. The modules were characterized with measurement of their I-V features under similar outdoor condition. Moreover, measurement of different meteorological parameters like humidity and temperature is done from the weather station. The present study aims to measure electrical characteristics (Isc, Voc, Pmax and FF) in monocrystalline and amorphous silicon modules exposed for 5 years in a sub-oceanique climate in Cologne. The results show the Pmax of monocrystalline silicone has more degradation (3.41%/year) than the amorphous silicon (1.76%/year). Key words: PV module, amorphous, crystalline, degradation.