Outdoor degradation of thin film amorphous silicon based PV modules

Abstract

One of the main problems in thin film silicon based modules is the deterioration of their performance upon exposure to light. The presented work focuses on a methodology for evaluation of thin-film photovoltaic module degradation behavior under real operating conditions. The outdoor degradation of double junction a-Si:H/a-Si:H modules was investigated using automated measurement setup for a period of two years. A deterioration of the module's maximum power was observed due to the well known Staebler-Wronski effect, which main causes are the decrease of open circuit voltage and the fill factor of the module. The obtained results can be correlated to the technology and construction of the thin film silicon based modules.