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Lan, C.W., Lan, A., Yang, C.F., Hsu, H.P., Yang, M., Yu, A., Hsu, B., Hsu, W.C. and Yang, A. (2017) The Emergence of High-Performance Multi-Crystalline Silicon in Photovoltaics. Journal of Crystal Growth, 468, 17-23.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcrysgro.2016.10.072

has been cited by the following article:

• TITLE: Mechanical Integrity and Failure Analysis of Photovoltaic Modules under Simulated Snow Loads Using Pneumatic Airbag Setup

  AUTHORS: Nouman Ali Shah, Rizwan M. Gul, Zafar Hayat Khan

  KEYWORDS: Photovoltaic Modules, Pneumatic Testing Setup, Mechanical Integrity, Electroluminescence Testing, Electrical Performance

  JOURNAL NAME: Journal of Power and Energy Engineering, Vol.10 No.1, January 10, 2022

  ABSTRACT: Photovoltaic (PV) modules have emerged as an ideal technology of choice for harvesting vastly available renewable energy resources. However, the efficiency of PV modules remains significantly lower than that of other renewable energy sources such as wind and hydro. One of the critical elements affecting a photovoltaic module’s efficiency is the variety of external climatic conditions under which it is installed. In this work, the effect of simulated snow loads was evaluated on the performance of PV modules with different types of cells and numbers of busbars. According to ASTM-1830 and IEC-1215 standards, a load of 5400 Pa was applied to the surface of PV modules for 3 hours. An indigenously developed pneumatic airbag test setup was used for the uniform application of this load throughout the test, which was validated by load cell and pressure gauge. Electroluminescence (EL) imaging and solar flash tests were performed before and after the application of load to characterize the performance and effect of load on PV modules. Based on these tests, the maximum power output, efficiency, fill factor and series resistance were determined. The results show that polycrystalline modules are the most likely to withstand the snow loads as compared to monocrystalline PV modules. A maximum drop of 32.13% in the power output and a 17.6% increase in series resistance were observed in the modules having more cracks. These findings demonstrated the efficacy of the newly established test setup and the potential of snow loads for reducing the overall performance of PV module.