RT journal article
T1 Methodology for Calculating the Damaged Surface and Its Relationship with Power Loss in Photovoltaic Modules by Electroluminescence Inspection for Corrective Maintenance
A1 Saborido Barba, Nieves
A1 García López, María del Carmen
A1 Clavijo Blanco, José Antonio
A1 Jiménez Castañeda, Rafael
A1 Álvarez Tey, Germán
A2 Ingeniería Eléctrica
K1 photovoltaic modules
K1 electroluminescence
K1 defects
K1 substring
K1 defect analysis tool
K1 performance
AB Photovoltaic panels are exposed to various external factors that can cause damage, withthe formation of cracks in the photovoltaic cells being one of the most recurrent issues affecting theirproduction capacity. Electroluminescence (EL) tests are employed to detect these cracks. In thisstudy, a methodology developed according to the IEC TS 60904-13 standard is presented, allowingfor the calculation of the percentage of type C cracks in a PV panel and subsequently estimatingthe associated power loss. To validate the methodology, it was applied to a polycrystalline siliconmodule subjected to incremental damage through multiple impacts on its rear surface. After eachimpact, electroluminescence images and I-V curves were obtained and used to verify power lossestimates. More accurate estimates were achieved by assessing cracks at the PV cell level ratherthan by substring or considering the entire module. In this context, cell-level analysis becomesindispensable, as the most damaged cell significantly influences the performance of the photovoltaicmodel. Subsequently, the developed methodology was applied to evaluate the conditions of fourphotovoltaic panels that had been in operation, exemplifying its application in maintenance tasks.The results assisted in decision making regarding whether to replace or continue using the panels.
PB MDPI
SN 1424-8220
YR 2024
FD 2024-02-24
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/32838
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/32838
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 10-may-2026