Her poster entitled "Cracks? - Cracks! - Cracks in PV!" describes the discrepancy between attention and relevance of different types of cracks in photovoltaic (PV) modules such as cell cracks, cracks in backside foils and in cell ribbons.
Cracks in PV systems are not uncommon, but often go undetected. They may minimize the performance of entire PV systems and also pose a safety risk: Cracks can lead to insulation faults and subsequently cause the inverter to shut down the system for safety reasons. Therefore, it is important to look closely and keep an eye on the effects of crack types on performance.
Dr. Claudia Buerhop-Lutz has been conducting research in the High Throughput Methods in Photovoltaics department of the Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nürnberg for Renewable Energy (HI ERN) since 2018: projects on the development of mainly imaging methods, data analysis, and the investigation of the influence of polymers on electrical performance are part of the focus of her research work in solar parks. Before that, she was responsible for the thermographic inspection of PV modules as group leader IR at the Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research e. V. (ZAE Bayern). The materials scientist laid the foundation for her current research work with her studies at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, where she earned her doctorate in 1994 on the laser processing of glass.
For photovoltaic power stations to operate successfully, they must generate optimum yields over their entire service life. Researchers at HI ERN have now developed a new approach that makes it possible to detect and quantify insufficient power independently of weather data.
In its current issue, the trade magazine "Sonnenenergie" reports on a new method developed by HI ERN researchers to non-destructively characterize PV backsheets in the field.
Insulation resistance in relation to distribution of backsheet types in strings and inverters
