Electroluminescence Test to Investigate the Humidity Effect on Solar Cells Operation

Daniela Fontani, Paola Sansoni, Franco Francini, Matteo Messeri, Giacomo Pierucci, Maurizio DeLucia and David Jafrancesco
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Daniela Fontani: CNR-INO National Institute of Optics, Largo E. Fermi, 50125 6—Firenze, Italy
Paola Sansoni: CNR-INO National Institute of Optics, Largo E. Fermi, 50125 6—Firenze, Italy
Franco Francini: CNR-INO National Institute of Optics, Largo E. Fermi, 50125 6—Firenze, Italy
Matteo Messeri: Department DIEF, University of Florence, Via Santa Marta, 50139 3—Firenze, Italy
Giacomo Pierucci: Department DIEF, University of Florence, Via Santa Marta, 50139 3—Firenze, Italy
Maurizio DeLucia: Department DIEF, University of Florence, Via Santa Marta, 50139 3—Firenze, Italy
David Jafrancesco: CNR-INO National Institute of Optics, Largo E. Fermi, 50125 6—Firenze, Italy

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 10, 1-15

Abstract: The electroluminescence test is an experiment typically used to verify the behavior of the photovoltaic cell and to qualitatively check its integrity. It works by operating the photovoltaic cell as a diode polarized directly: the cells that light up in a module indicate how many of them work. This test provides an estimate of the maximum performance of the entire photovoltaic module. A qualitative inspection was performed by electroluminescence tests on 48 modules of photovoltaic cells. They had already been installed on a small-size concentration solar plant before the test and some modules had reached a lower level of performance than expected. A first electroluminescence test was performed, which showed that only 61.5% of the photocells worked. Since there were visible signs of humidity within the various modules, some of the inoperative modules underwent a dehumidification treatment in a climatic chamber. A second electroluminescence test showed that the percentage of functioning cells had increased to 66.3% after the drying treatment.

Keywords: photovoltaic; electroluminescence; humidity; climatic chamber (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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