Analysis of Field Degradation Rates Observed in All-India Survey of Photovoltaic Module Reliability 2018

The analysis of performance degradation in photovoltaic (PV) modules with c-Si technologies as observed in the All-India Survey of PV Module Reliability 2018 is presented in this article. The degradation rates are correlated with the module age, system size, mounting configuration, and climate of deployment. Key failure modes responsible for the higher degradation rates seen in certain sites are identified using visual, infrared, and electroluminescence imaging. Potential-induced degradation is found to be the key mechanism responsible for higher degradation rates seen in Young sites. Also, deployment in hot climates and rooftops is seen to accelerate degradation. Multipoint analysis of degradation rates is presented at sites inspected in prior All-India Surveys.