Pub Date : 2025-07-25DOI: 10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3587887
Marco Nicoletto;Davide Panizzon;Alessandro Caria;Nicola Trivellin;Carlo De Santi;Matteo Buffolo;Gaudenzio Meneghesso;Enrico Zanoni;Matteo Meneghini
This work investigates the impact of cracks on silicon heterojunction photovoltaic (PV) modules by analyzing their electrical and thermal behavior under low and high current conditions. The analysis was conducted on PV modules affected by a severe hailstorm, which produced hailstones up to 16 cm in diameter, far exceeding the standard test sizes (IEC 61215). A combination of electroluminescence (EL) and infrared (IR) thermography, along with dark and light current–voltage characterization, was employed to examine both hail and operator-induced cracks. The findings revealed that these cracks, which are latent damages not visible to the naked eye but only with EL and IR investigations, lead to localized temperature increase near open circuit voltage, and to a more uniform distributed temperature increase near short circuit conditions. A Simulink/Matlab model was developed to reproduce the thermal behavior of cracked cells in series with intact ones, to reproduce what happens in a real-world scenario. The results emphasize the importance of identifying latent defects in PV modules to ensure long-term reliability, safety, and efficiency, offering insights into their electrical and thermal behavior in low and high current regime.
{"title":"Modeling Cracks in Silicon-Heterojunction Photovoltaic Modules: A Real-World Case Study","authors":"Marco Nicoletto;Davide Panizzon;Alessandro Caria;Nicola Trivellin;Carlo De Santi;Matteo Buffolo;Gaudenzio Meneghesso;Enrico Zanoni;Matteo Meneghini","doi":"10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3587887","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3587887","url":null,"abstract":"This work investigates the impact of cracks on silicon heterojunction photovoltaic (PV) modules by analyzing their electrical and thermal behavior under low and high current conditions. The analysis was conducted on PV modules affected by a severe hailstorm, which produced hailstones up to 16 cm in diameter, far exceeding the standard test sizes (IEC 61215). A combination of electroluminescence (EL) and infrared (IR) thermography, along with dark and light current–voltage characterization, was employed to examine both hail and operator-induced cracks. The findings revealed that these cracks, which are latent damages not visible to the naked eye but only with EL and IR investigations, lead to localized temperature increase near open circuit voltage, and to a more uniform distributed temperature increase near short circuit conditions. A Simulink/Matlab model was developed to reproduce the thermal behavior of cracked cells in series with intact ones, to reproduce what happens in a real-world scenario. The results emphasize the importance of identifying latent defects in PV modules to ensure long-term reliability, safety, and efficiency, offering insights into their electrical and thermal behavior in low and high current regime.","PeriodicalId":445,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics","volume":"15 5","pages":"639-644"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144887704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-23DOI: 10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3587297
Victoria Lofstad-Lie;Aleksander Simonsen;Tønnes Frostad Nygaard;Erik Stensrud Marstein
As the installed capacity of photovoltaic power plants continues its near exponential growth, cost-efficient operation and maintenance strategies become increasingly crucial. Aerial infrared thermography has enabled fast and robust fault detection in utility-scale PV plants. In this article, we explore two key approaches to improve inspection efficiency: increase the flight altitude and deploy swarms of unmanned aerial vehicles. A larger imaging distance expands the field of view but reduces fault detectability and georeferencing accuracy. In this work, we study the tradeoff between inspection efficiency and data quality for automatic fault detection and localization. The YOLO11 machine learning model was trained to detect defects in thermal images, and its performance was evaluated to vary imaging distances and camera pitch angles. Fault detection remained robust up to approximately 80 m, but georeferencing error became the primary limiting factor. Finally, we conduct a UAV swarm-based inspection of a PV plant, integrating automatic fault detection and localization, and compare the results with ground truth data.
{"title":"Data Quality Analyses for Automatic Aerial Thermography Inspection of PV Power Plants","authors":"Victoria Lofstad-Lie;Aleksander Simonsen;Tønnes Frostad Nygaard;Erik Stensrud Marstein","doi":"10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3587297","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3587297","url":null,"abstract":"As the installed capacity of photovoltaic power plants continues its near exponential growth, cost-efficient operation and maintenance strategies become increasingly crucial. Aerial infrared thermography has enabled fast and robust fault detection in utility-scale PV plants. In this article, we explore two key approaches to improve inspection efficiency: increase the flight altitude and deploy swarms of unmanned aerial vehicles. A larger imaging distance expands the field of view but reduces fault detectability and georeferencing accuracy. In this work, we study the tradeoff between inspection efficiency and data quality for automatic fault detection and localization. The YOLO11 machine learning model was trained to detect defects in thermal images, and its performance was evaluated to vary imaging distances and camera pitch angles. Fault detection remained robust up to approximately 80 m, but georeferencing error became the primary limiting factor. Finally, we conduct a UAV swarm-based inspection of a PV plant, integrating automatic fault detection and localization, and compare the results with ground truth data.","PeriodicalId":445,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics","volume":"15 5","pages":"722-731"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=11091333","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144887709","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-07DOI: 10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3581692
Alexander Melnikov;Andreas Mandelis;Peng Song;Junyan Liu
The question of identifying the dominant capacitance in Si solar cell optoelectronic transport phenomena under open circuit conditions is explored using quantitative noncontacting laser photocarrier radiometry (PCR) as a dynamic spectrally gated photoluminescence method. The combined theoretical and experimental approach addresses the dependence of the PCR signal on the capacitance of the charge transport layer (CTL) and of the base layer of the p-n junction which, in conjunction with the solar cell series resistance, form RC diffusive time constants shown to be sensitively measurable using PCR frequency scans. The experimental strategy is based on the dependence of layer capacitance on the laser-illuminated area and involves frequency responses under partial or total surface area illumination. It is shown that the recombination lifetime and CTL diffusion lifetime ${{tau }_{RC}}$ are mainly responsible for the kinetics and extraction of nonequilibrium optically generated carrier density waves in three types of photovoltaic Si solar cells. It is concluded that ${{tau }_{RC}},$which is related to the thin upper CTL and the associated recombination lifetime, plays the main role in the dynamic optoelectronic PCR frequency response of all tested devices. ${rm{Through the capacitance of this layer}}, {{tau }_{RC}}$ strongly affects free photocarrier transport across the p-n junction, surface distribution, and electrode collection, therefore CTL capacitance should become a major focus of solar efficiency enhancement designs and studies.
{"title":"Charge Transport Layer Capacitance Contribution to Si Solar Cell Optoelectronic Properties Investigated Using Photocarrier Radiometry","authors":"Alexander Melnikov;Andreas Mandelis;Peng Song;Junyan Liu","doi":"10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3581692","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3581692","url":null,"abstract":"The question of identifying the dominant capacitance in Si solar cell optoelectronic transport phenomena under open circuit conditions is explored using quantitative noncontacting laser photocarrier radiometry (PCR) as a dynamic spectrally gated photoluminescence method. The combined theoretical and experimental approach addresses the dependence of the PCR signal on the capacitance of the charge transport layer (CTL) and of the base layer of the p-n junction which, in conjunction with the solar cell series resistance, form <italic>RC</i> diffusive time constants shown to be sensitively measurable using PCR frequency scans. The experimental strategy is based on the dependence of layer capacitance on the laser-illuminated area and involves frequency responses under partial or total surface area illumination. It is shown that the recombination lifetime and CTL diffusion lifetime <inline-formula><tex-math>${{tau }_{RC}}$</tex-math></inline-formula> are mainly responsible for the kinetics and extraction of nonequilibrium optically generated carrier density waves in three types of photovoltaic Si solar cells. It is concluded that <inline-formula><tex-math>${{tau }_{RC}},$</tex-math></inline-formula>which is related to the thin upper CTL and the associated recombination lifetime, plays the main role in the dynamic optoelectronic PCR frequency response of all tested devices. <inline-formula><tex-math>${rm{Through the capacitance of this layer}}, {{tau }_{RC}}$</tex-math></inline-formula> strongly affects free photocarrier transport across the p-n junction, surface distribution, and electrode collection, therefore CTL capacitance should become a major focus of solar efficiency enhancement designs and studies.","PeriodicalId":445,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics","volume":"15 5","pages":"662-671"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144887616","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-07-02DOI: 10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3581709
Mohamed Limam El Hairach;Amal Tmiri;Insaf Bellamine;Tony Mellors;Hassan Silkan
The optimal functioning of large-scale photovoltaic installations relies on effective monitoring of tracking systems. This research presents a straightforward and effective method for monitoring performance by finding flaws that lead to energy losses. The Tracker Status Index is an effective instrument specifically engineered to assess tracker anomalies in real time. The proposed method, in conjunction with an interactive visualization tool, enables operators to swiftly identify malfunctioning trackers and assess their impact on plant performance. The approach is easily integrable into existing monitoring systems due to its clear calculation formulas and operating parameters. Validation through an authentic case study demonstrates the reliability of the Tracker Status Index in correlating tracker failures with energy loss, hence underscoring its use as a decision-support instrument for improving operational efficiency and maximizing energy production in photovoltaic systems.
{"title":"Integrated Methodology for Solar Tracker Performance Assessment and Energy Loss Quantification","authors":"Mohamed Limam El Hairach;Amal Tmiri;Insaf Bellamine;Tony Mellors;Hassan Silkan","doi":"10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3581709","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3581709","url":null,"abstract":"The optimal functioning of large-scale photovoltaic installations relies on effective monitoring of tracking systems. This research presents a straightforward and effective method for monitoring performance by finding flaws that lead to energy losses. The Tracker Status Index is an effective instrument specifically engineered to assess tracker anomalies in real time. The proposed method, in conjunction with an interactive visualization tool, enables operators to swiftly identify malfunctioning trackers and assess their impact on plant performance. The approach is easily integrable into existing monitoring systems due to its clear calculation formulas and operating parameters. Validation through an authentic case study demonstrates the reliability of the Tracker Status Index in correlating tracker failures with energy loss, hence underscoring its use as a decision-support instrument for improving operational efficiency and maximizing energy production in photovoltaic systems.","PeriodicalId":445,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics","volume":"15 5","pages":"712-721"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144887741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
This work investigates the potential of nanocrystalline silicon carbide (nc-SiC) films as transparent passivating contacts for high-efficiency solar cells. A plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition process for high hydrogen radical density was developed to fabricate nc-SiC films. The influence of phosphorus (P) doping and thermal treatment on the structural, compositional, and electrical properties of these films was investigated. Increased doping reduced the contact resistance but also negatively affected the open circuit voltage ($iV_{text{oc}}$). We identified a set of parameters that provided a compromise between conductivity and passivation, resulting in a maximum $iV_{text{oc}}$ of 708 mV on textured surfaces with a contact resistance of around 100 $mathrm{m}mathrm{Omega }mathrm{c}mathrm{m}^{2},$. In addition, nc-SiC exhibited superior ultraviolet transparency compared to poly silicon (poly-Si) and crystalline silicon (c-Si), with an absorption coefficient of $3times 10^{5}; text{cm}^{-1}$ at 350 nm, lower than the typical $1times 10^{6}; text{cm}^{-1}$ for poly-Si and c-Si.
{"title":"nc-SiC by PECVD for High-Temperature Passivating Contacts","authors":"Ezgi Genc;Julien Hurni;Arnold Müller;Christof Vockenhuber;Takashi Koida;Audrey Morisset;Christophe Ballif;Franz-Josef Haug","doi":"10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3577294","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3577294","url":null,"abstract":"This work investigates the potential of nanocrystalline silicon carbide (nc-SiC) films as transparent passivating contacts for high-efficiency solar cells. A plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition process for high hydrogen radical density was developed to fabricate nc-SiC films. The influence of phosphorus (P) doping and thermal treatment on the structural, compositional, and electrical properties of these films was investigated. Increased doping reduced the contact resistance but also negatively affected the open circuit voltage (<inline-formula><tex-math>$iV_{text{oc}}$</tex-math></inline-formula>). We identified a set of parameters that provided a compromise between conductivity and passivation, resulting in a maximum <inline-formula><tex-math>$iV_{text{oc}}$</tex-math></inline-formula> of 708 mV on textured surfaces with a contact resistance of around 100 <inline-formula><tex-math>$mathrm{m}mathrm{Omega }mathrm{c}mathrm{m}^{2},$</tex-math></inline-formula>. In addition, nc-SiC exhibited superior ultraviolet transparency compared to poly silicon (poly-Si) and crystalline silicon (c-Si), with an absorption coefficient of <inline-formula><tex-math>$3times 10^{5}; text{cm}^{-1}$</tex-math></inline-formula> at 350 nm, lower than the typical <inline-formula><tex-math>$1times 10^{6}; text{cm}^{-1}$</tex-math></inline-formula> for poly-Si and c-Si.","PeriodicalId":445,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics","volume":"15 5","pages":"630-638"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144887707","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-06-20DOI: 10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3576533
{"title":"Call for Papers for a Special Issue of IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices on “Reliability of Advanced Nodes”","authors":"","doi":"10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3576533","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3576533","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":445,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics","volume":"15 4","pages":"626-627"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=11045341","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144331648","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-06-20DOI: 10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3576614
{"title":"IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics Information for Authors","authors":"","doi":"10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3576614","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3576614","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":445,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics","volume":"15 4","pages":"C3-C3"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=11045374","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144331645","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-06-20DOI: 10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3576528
{"title":"Call for Papers for a Special Issue of IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices on “Wide Band Semiconductors for Automotive Application","authors":"","doi":"10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3576528","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3576528","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":445,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics","volume":"15 4","pages":"621-622"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=11045373","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144331519","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-06-20DOI: 10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3576532
{"title":"Call for Papers for a Special Issue of IEEE Transactions on Electron Devices on “Ultrawide Band Gap Semiconductor Device for RF, Power and Optoelectronic Application","authors":"","doi":"10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3576532","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/JPHOTOV.2025.3576532","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":445,"journal":{"name":"IEEE Journal of Photovoltaics","volume":"15 4","pages":"624-625"},"PeriodicalIF":2.5,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp=&arnumber=11045362","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144331629","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"工程技术","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：