We present a description of an electroluminescence (EL) apparatus, easily sourced from commercially available components, with a quantitative image processing platform that demonstrates feasibility for the widespread utility of EL imaging as a characterization tool. We validated our system using a Gage R&R analysis to find a variance contribution by the measurement system of 80.56%, which is typically unacceptable, but through quantitative image processing and development of correction factors a variance contribution by the measurement system of 2.41% was obtained. We further validated the system by quantifying the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and found values consistent with other systems published in the literature, at SNR values of 10-100, albeit at exposure times of greater than 1 s compared to 10 ms for other systems. This SNR value range is acceptable for image feature recognition, providing the opportunity for widespread data acquisition and large scale data analytics of photovoltaics.
The expected lifetime performance and degradation of photovoltaic (PV) modules is a major issue facing the levelized cost of electricity of PV as a competitive energy source. Studies that quantify the rates and mechanisms of performance degradation are needed not only for bankability and adoption of these promising technologies, but also for the diagnosis and improvement of their mechanistic degradation pathways. Towards this goal, a generalizable approach to degradation science studies utilizing data science principles has been developed and applied to c-Si PV modules. By combining domain knowledge and data derived insights, mechanistic degradation pathways are indicated that link environmental stressors to the degradation of PV module performance characteristics. Targeted studies guided by these results have yielded predictive equations describing rates of degradation, and further studies are underway to achieve this for additional mechanistic pathways of interest.
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