TY - GEN
T1 - Degradation and failure modes of 26-year-old 200 kW power plant in a hot-dry desert climate
AU - Olakonu, K.
AU - Belmont, J.
AU - Tatapudi, S.
AU - Kuitche, J.
AU - Tamizhmani, G.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 IEEE.
PY - 2014/10/15
Y1 - 2014/10/15
N2 - The primary focus of this paper is the reliability / failure evaluation of a 26-year-old photovoltaic (PV) monocrystalline silicon (c-Si) system located in Phoenix, Arizona (a hot-dry desert condition). This 4000-frameless-module bipolar system was originally installed in August 1985 with a rated capacity of 175 kW (17° fixed south tilt). This paper presents only the degradation and failure modes, and the degradation rate and its determination of this power plant is presented in another/twin paper of this conference. The results obtained from the extensive visual inspections and other non-intrusive tests made on the entire plant were used to determine the degradation and wear-out failure modes. The encapsualnt browning, cell gridline blossoming, cell-ribbon solder bond degradation, ribbon/metal-strip (copper) attachment degradation/break outside the modules, cell cracks and backsheet delamination have been determined to be the degradation and/or wear-out failure modes of these 26 years old modules in this specific hot-dry desert climate.
AB - The primary focus of this paper is the reliability / failure evaluation of a 26-year-old photovoltaic (PV) monocrystalline silicon (c-Si) system located in Phoenix, Arizona (a hot-dry desert condition). This 4000-frameless-module bipolar system was originally installed in August 1985 with a rated capacity of 175 kW (17° fixed south tilt). This paper presents only the degradation and failure modes, and the degradation rate and its determination of this power plant is presented in another/twin paper of this conference. The results obtained from the extensive visual inspections and other non-intrusive tests made on the entire plant were used to determine the degradation and wear-out failure modes. The encapsualnt browning, cell gridline blossoming, cell-ribbon solder bond degradation, ribbon/metal-strip (copper) attachment degradation/break outside the modules, cell cracks and backsheet delamination have been determined to be the degradation and/or wear-out failure modes of these 26 years old modules in this specific hot-dry desert climate.
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U2 - 10.1109/PVSC.2014.6925618
DO - 10.1109/PVSC.2014.6925618
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:84912128118
T3 - 2014 IEEE 40th Photovoltaic Specialist Conference, PVSC 2014
SP - 3207
EP - 3210
BT - 2014 IEEE 40th Photovoltaic Specialist Conference, PVSC 2014
PB - Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
T2 - 40th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialist Conference, PVSC 2014
Y2 - 8 June 2014 through 13 June 2014
ER -