Materials for Concentrator Photovoltaic Systems: Optical Properties and Solar Radiation Durability

French, Roger H.; Rodríguez‐Parada, J. M.; Yang, Min; Lemon, M. F.; Romano, E.; Boydell, P.

doi:10.1063/1.3509171

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…The number of measurements at each time point for each variable is not consistent. Some variables were measured multiple times (2)(3)(4)(5)(6) per disassembled module at each time point, while others were only measured once. Additionally, individual measurements at identical time points between different variables are only comparable to one another on the basis of their sample origin (which module they came from), and do not correspond directly to one another even if the number of measurements is identical.…”

Section: Landds Analytics: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A recent U.S. Department of Energy workshop on Science for Energy Technologies [1] identified photovoltaics (PV) lifetime and degradation science (L&DS) [2]- [4] as a critical scientific challenge for robust adoption of PV. The PVQA Task Force was developed as an international task force to work towards defining what is needed for lifetime qualification standards and tests [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Statistical and Domain Analytics Applied to PV Module Lifetime and Degradation Science

Bruckman

Wheeler

et al. 2013

IEEE Access

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A better understanding of the degradation modes and rates for photovoltaic (PV) modules is necessary to optimize and extend the lifetime of these modules. Lifetime and degradation science (L&DS) is used to understand degradation modes, mechanisms and rates of materials, components and systems to predict lifetime of PV modules. A PV module lifetime and degradation science (PVM L&DS) model is an essential component to predict lifetime and mitigate degradation of PV modules using reproducible open data science. Previously published accelerated testing data from Underwriter Laboratories on PV modules with fluorinated polyester backsheets, which included eight modules that were exposed up to 4000 hrs of damp heat (85% relative humidity at 85 • C) and eight exposed up to 4000 hrs of ultraviolet light (80 W/m 2 of 280-400 nm wavelengths at 60 • C) (UV preconditioning) were used to determine statistically significant relationships between the applied stresses and measured responses. There were 15 different variables tracking aspects of system performance, degradation mechanisms, component metrics and time. Modules were analyzed for three system performance metrics (fill factor, peak power, and wet insulation). The results were statistically analyzed to identify variable transformations, statistically significant relationships (SSRs) and to develop the PVM L&DS model informed by a generalization of structural equation modeling techniques. The SSRs and significant model coefficients, combined with domain analytics, incorporating materials science, chemistry, and physics expertise, produced a pathway diagram ranking the variables' impact on the system performance, which were iteratively examined using sound statistical analysis and diagnostics. The SSRs determined from the damp heat exposure for the system response of Pmax corresponded to the degradation pathway of polyester terephthalate (PET) and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) hydrolysis. A linear change point for the damp heat exposure with the system response of Pmax was determined to be 1890 hrs. The UV preconditioning exposure did not induce sufficient degradation shown by the quality of the R 2 values for many of the best fitting models. This exemplifies the development of a methodology to determine rank ordered lifetime and degradation pathways present in modules and their effects on module performance over lifetime.

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Section: Landds Analytics: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Statistical and Domain Analytics Applied to PV Module Lifetime and Degradation Science

Bruckman

Wheeler

et al. 2013

IEEE Access

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“…Acrylic back surface mirrors were exposed to 1000 hours of a 5% salt fog exposure at 35ºC, ASTM B117, using a Q-Fog Cyclic Corrosion Tester (Q-Labs Model CCT) [6]. These samples were analyzed using a ScatterScope3D and ScatterMaster software, which points a laser at the sample and then records the amount of scattered light per steradian leaving a spherical area.…”

Section: B Salt Fog Corrosionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Degradation of back surface acrylic mirrors: Implications for low concentration and mirror augmented photovoltaics

Bruckman

Murray

Richardson

et al. 2012

2012 IEEE Energytech

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In developing photovoltaic (PV) technology for widespread adoption, it is crucial to provide PV power with comparable prices to traditional technologies. A method to lower the cost of energy delivered by a PV system is to increase power output. While PV panel costs account for as much as 50% of system costs [1] balance of system (BOS) is among the other major costs associated with PV technologies. Because mounting, wiring, and installation tend to scale with system area, higher efficiency devices will lower these BOS costs. Under this concept, our research group seeks to provide opportunities for lower cost power using flat-panel PV modules augmented through the addition of low cost solar mirrors. Since mirror augmentation costs ~10% of module cost, and increased irradiance scales almost linearly with power production, in order to harvest more incident solar irradiance, an optimized configuration design between flat-panel module and mirror are necessary in this fixed (non-tracked) mirror-augmented photovoltaic (MAPV) system. As with many renewable energy technologies, PV energy generation requires durability of systems, components, and materials for 25 years in order to be economically viable. In order to ensure investors and early adopters that MAPV can fulfill expected service lifetimes of 25+ years durability studies have been performed showing the effects of artificial aging in terms of angle distribution of reflected light and reflectance loss.

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“…A recent U. S. Department of Energy workshop on Science for Energy Technologies [1] identified the topic of PV lifetime and degradation science (L&DS) [2][3][4][5] as a critical scientific challenge for robust adoption of PV. The 25-year lifetime performance of PV requires a better understanding of the degradation mechanisms in PV materials and systems.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Durability of Materials in a Stress-Response Framework: Acrylic Materials for Photovoltaic Systems

2012

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In the development of novel materials for enhanced photovoltaic (PV) performance, it is critical to have quantitative knowledge of the initial performance, as well as the performance of these materials over the required 25-year lifetime of the PV system. Lifetime and degradation science (L&DS) allows for the development of new metrology and metrics, coupled to degradation mechanisms and rates. Induced absorbance to dose (IAD), a new metric being developed for solar radiation durability studies of solar and environmentally exposed photovoltaic materials, is defined as the rate of photodarkening or photobleaching of a material as a function of total absorbed solar radiation dose. In a reliability engineering framework, these quantitative degradation rates can be determined at various solar irradiances making possible real time and accelerated testing. The potential to predict power losses in a photovoltaic system over time caused by the accumulation of this kind of degradation can be calculated for real time applications or extrapolated for accelerated exposure conditions. Three formulations of poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) used for mirror augmented PV systems were analyzed for the changes in IAD after accelerated testing.

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Materials for Concentrator Photovoltaic Systems: Optical Properties and Solar Radiation Durability

Cited by 9 publications

References 5 publications

Statistical and Domain Analytics Applied to PV Module Lifetime and Degradation Science

Statistical and Domain Analytics Applied to PV Module Lifetime and Degradation Science

Degradation of back surface acrylic mirrors: Implications for low concentration and mirror augmented photovoltaics

Durability of Materials in a Stress-Response Framework: Acrylic Materials for Photovoltaic Systems

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