eprintid: 2187
rev_number: 13
eprint_status: archive
userid: 56
dir: disk0/00/00/21/87
datestamp: 2014-03-31 08:30:37
lastmod: 2014-09-17 12:30:38
status_changed: 2014-03-31 08:30:37
type: article
metadata_visibility: show
creators_name: Paggi, Marco
creators_name: Berardone, Irene
creators_name: Infuso, Andrea
creators_id: marco.paggi@imtlucca.it
creators_id: irene.berardone@polito.it
creators_id: andrea.infuso@polito.it
title: Fatigue degradation and electric recovery in Silicon solar cells embedded in photovoltaic modules
ispublished: pub
subjects: TA
subjects: TJ
divisions: CSA
full_text_status: public
keywords: Mechanical engineering; Solar cells

abstract: Cracking in Silicon solar cells is an important factor for the electrical power-loss of photovoltaic modules. Simple geometrical criteria identifying the amount of inactive cell areas depending on the position of cracks with respect to the main electric conductors have been proposed in the literature to predict worst case scenarios. Here we present an experimental study based on the electroluminescence (EL) technique showing that crack propagation in monocrystalline Silicon cells embedded in photovoltaic (PV) modules is a much more complex phenomenon. In spite of the very brittle nature of Silicon, due to the action of the encapsulating polymer and residual thermo-elastic stresses, cracked regions can recover the electric conductivity during mechanical unloading due to crack closure. During cyclic bending, fatigue degradation is reported. This pinpoints the importance of reducing cyclic stresses caused by vibrations due to transportation and use, in order to limit the effect of cracking in Silicon cells.
date: 2014
date_type: published
publication: Scientific Reports
volume: 4
publisher: Nature Publishing Group
pagerange: 1-7
id_number: 10.1038/srep04506
refereed: TRUE
issn: 2045-2322
official_url: http://www.nature.com/srep/2014/140328/srep04506/full/srep04506.html
funders: European Reserarch Council
funders: Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research 
projects: ERC Starting Grant CA2PVM 306622
projects: FIRB Futuro in Ricerca RBFR107AKG
citation:   Paggi, Marco and Berardone, Irene and Infuso, Andrea  Fatigue degradation and electric recovery in Silicon solar cells embedded in photovoltaic modules.  Scientific Reports, 4.  pp. 1-7.  ISSN 2045-2322      (2014)  
document_url: http://eprints.imtlucca.it/2187/1/Scientific_Report_Paggi_2014.pdf