Impact of an open crack on the output characteristics of a heterojunction solar cell

Yıl 2023, Cilt: 7 Sayı: 4, 95 - 104, 31.12.2023

Amina Ennemrı Halima Mazouz Ali Khouzam Pierre-olivier Logeraıs

Öz

Photovoltaic modules experience various forms of degradation throughout their lifecycle, including during operation, transportation, installation and maintenance. Among common degradation modes, cracks are a significant factor contributing to the deterioration of photovoltaic panels. Indeed, the direct link between cracks and the efficiency loss of a photovoltaic module has not definitively been established to date. Therefore, the current study was focused on investigating the influence of the crack depth within a heterojunction solar cell using a finite element model. By conducting steady-state simulations of the PN junction, the study explored crack depths ranging from 0 to 5 µm. The results revealed a linear decrease in the short-circuit current with an increasing crack depth. Moreover, a substantial drop in the open-circuit voltage was observed for crack depths up to 0.25 µm. The overall efficiency of the solar cell was found to decrease markedly from 19.97% to 12.94% when the crack depth reached 5 µm. These findings highlight the importance of understanding and mitigating the impact of cracks on the performance of photovoltaic modules.

Anahtar Kelimeler

PN junction, heterojunction solar cell (HJ), open crack, modeling, output parameters.

Teşekkür

Dear Editor, This paper was presented at www.icSmartGrid.org conference in June 2023 and its initial version was published in the IEEE Xplore database. Thanking you in anticipation. Best regards.

Kaynakça

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