- Title
- The electrical, structural and elemental analyis of degraded single junction amorphous silicon solar modules
- Creator
- Osayemwenre, Gilbert Omorodion
- Subject
- Amorphous semiconductors Solar cells Silicon crystals
- Date Issued
- 2015
- Date
- 2015
- Type
- Thesis
- Type
- Masters
- Type
- Science
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10353/11674
- Identifier
- vital:39095
- Description
- This study focuses on the degradation of solar cells due to localized heat. A decrease in optical absorbance represents a huge problem because of long-term solar cell degradation, decrease in absorption coefficient and a reduction in solar cell conversion efficiency. This decreases the photo-generating current hence reduces the effective efficiency of the solar device. As such the electrical output decreases, this research investigates the reduction in a-Si:H modules maximum power and its light absorption and correlates this with hot spot formation. Infrared Thermography was used for mapping of the module temperature profile, while IR flying meter software was used to analyze the hot spot centre. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) was used for absorption characterization. The study was undertaken during outdoor deployment of five PV modules. This method was chosen so as to deduce the practical effect of hot spot formation on the module’s absorption ability. The results show a direct correlation between localized heat and absorption degradation and structural degradation (damaged) in a-Si:H.
- Format
- 158 leaves
- Format
- Publisher
- University of Fort Hare
- Publisher
- Faculty of Science and Agriculture
- Language
- English
- Rights
- University of Fort Hare
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UFH Department of Physics
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | M Sc (Physics) OSAYEMWENRE.pdf | 3 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |