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Industry Facing PV Degradation Prediction Tool and Degradation Database to Enable a 50-Year-Life Module

DuraMAT will create a comprehensive software framework for analyzing photovoltaic (PV) degradation on a mode or mechanism level for achieving 50-year-life modules.

The software framework will rely on open-source, object-oriented programming, made accessible through the use of Jupyter Journals loaded through Binder, with widgets for user interaction and dashboard capabilities (e.g., voilá) to hide the programmatic aspect on the visual design. There will be separate calculators for each degradation process.

We envision users (from DuraMAT, industry, academia, etc.) being able to search for a combination of keywords related to the material(s) they want to evaluate and find data regarding the thermal acceleration factors, hydrolytic acceleration factors, UV, etc., with respective references. Then our online tool will provide the means to extrapolate to the field to visualize the relevance of various parameters on performance. It is not the intent to do a complete service-life prediction of a module but to assess degradation on a mode by-mode basis. By evaluating all the modes independently, we can identify the weakest links and target those to achieve the 50-year modules.

Core Objective

Multi-Scale, Multi-Physics Modeling

Location

National Renewable Energy Laboratory

Applications

We will create an online tool that can be used to search for related degradation information and then utilize Python code to extrapolate to the field exposure. There will be visualization software to aid in the understanding of the results. Lastly, some components will be open for more input into calculations or to database information.

Availability

This tool will be available to everyone worldwide. Our intent is to create a structure to which others can easily contribute.

References

Holsapple, Derek, Kempe, Michael, Ayala Pelaez, Silvana, and USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. PV Degradation Tools. Computer software. USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office. 29 May. 2020.

PVDegradation Tools Github Repository

PVLighthouse Calculator Map

PVLib

Contact

To learn more about this project, contact Michael Kempe or Silvana Ovaitt.

Flowchart with Acceleration & Materials Libraries, Calculators, Framework for supporting degradation studies with research-based best practices and libraries of methods and values: visualization tools, acceleration test design tools, and FMEA and reliability profiling for 50-y-modules. Input Data Examples: material name, material information, weather, etc. with arrow pointing to prediction tools. Prediction Tools—tools to predicting diff. degradation modes; Methods: LID equation, LeTID equation, etc.; Libraries: acceleration factors, activation energies, etc.; User Groups: manufacturers, owners to purchase, risk assessment for contracts. Input Data Examples: IV curves, EL images, Field location, weather, etc. with arrow pointing to evaluation tools. Evaluation Tools—tools to process measured data to get parameters of degradation. Methods: calculate LID/LeTID degradation of IV Curves, PID calculation, visual recognition of cracks and severity, etc.; User Groups: owners experiencing degradation in field, researchers evaluation results from accelerated testing.