April 13, 2023
From a total of 145 papers submitted, the paper "Dynamics of Backsheet-Driven Insulation Issues" by HI ERN researchers Dr. Claudia Buerhop-Lutz, Dr. Ian Marius Peters and Dr. Oleksandr Stroyuk as well as Dr. Larry Lüer (Friedrich-Alexander-Universität) was awarded one of the top ten at the 13th SiliconPV Conference. SiliconPV is an international scientific conference on developments in crystalline silicon photovoltaics (PV) held in Delft, the Netherlands, in April.
In their paper, the authors analyzed the degradation of PV-backsheets. These can be recognized, for example, by cracks and corrosion. The problem here is that these degradations lead to malfunctions of the inverters. As a result, the energy generated is no longer fed into the grid, and the total output of the PV plant is reduced. In the worst case, this can lead to total failure.
The researchers were able to determine the rates of degradation and their rates for different materials using machine learning. In total, the study incorporated data from the backsheets of 30,000 PV modules as well as time series of suitable monitoring data of the 422 inverters. This allowed the degradation rate and start time to be identified as key criteria for degradation. Some polymer types used for the backsheets lead to total failures after only six to eight years of operation, long before the expected lifetime of more than 20 years.
The scientists' findings make it clear that there are measurable characteristics for early detection of the onset of degradation. Investors and operators of solar plants can use these for their planning and risk assessments in order to counteract impending total failures in good time.
Gruppenleiter "Hochdurchsatz Charakterisierung und Modellierung für die PV"
