Study of Photodegradation of Organic Solar Cells Under Brazilian Climate Conditions

Lucas Phillip Z. G. Moraes (), Antonia Sonia A. C. Diniz, Marcelo Machado Viana, Lawrence L. Kazmerski and Gabriela A. Soares
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Lucas Phillip Z. G. Moraes: Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program, Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (IPUC), Campus Coração Eucaristico, Belo Horizonte 30535901, MG, Brazil
Antonia Sonia A. C. Diniz: Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program, Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (IPUC), Campus Coração Eucaristico, Belo Horizonte 30535901, MG, Brazil
Marcelo Machado Viana: Chemical Department, Institute of Exact Sciences (ICEx), Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Campus Pampulha, Belo Horizonte 30270901, MG, Brazil
Lawrence L. Kazmerski: Mechanical Engineering Graduate Program, Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais (IPUC), Campus Coração Eucaristico, Belo Horizonte 30535901, MG, Brazil
Gabriela A. Soares: ONINN—Innovation Center, Ave. José Candido da Silveira, 2000, Belo Horizonte 31035536, MG, Brazil

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 22, 1-12

Abstract: The increasing technical and economic viability of photovoltaic solar energy technologies includes modules with organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells, which have shown significant efficiency increases, reaching 20% for research devices. This study investigated the photodegradation and associated loss mechanisms in OPV devices under tropical conditions in Brazil. The electrical and optical characteristics of the modules were correlated with chemical and structural changes when exposed to sunlight. Electrical parameters were monitored over time on external test benches and measured in solar simulators, while changes in the optical transmission and absorption of the films were analyzed. Scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy were used to study the physical and chemical properties of the materials. We found that photodegradation causes bound breakage in the active layer, altering the carbon structure and consequently reducing the module’s output power. The primary reasons for the activation and progression of this mechanism are high temperature and elevated solar irradiance. Therefore, we demonstrate that understanding these mechanisms is essential for the development of more sustainable OPVs in tropical climates.

Keywords: solar energy; photodegradation; organic photovoltaics (OPV) (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: 2024
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