Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Article number | 110811 |
| Journal | Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells |
| Volume | 219 |
| Early online date | 7 Oct 2020 |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 2021 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Abstract
We examine the electrical and thermal characteristics of a photovoltaic module with three-terminal cell interconnection when partially shading a solar cell by experimentally verified modeling. For the interconnection of multi junction and tandem solar cells a two- (2T), three- (3T), and four-terminal (4T) cell architecture is conceivable. The 3T architecture featuring a combination of parallel and series interconnection combines the advantageous of 2T and 4T cells without their drawbacks. We build a photovoltaic (PV) module with silicon solar cells in a 3T tandem solar cell interconnection configuration (3TTSC PV module) to emulate a solar module with 20 3TTSC. To the best of our knowledge, no 3TTSC PV module with more than five solar cells has been shown in previous studies. We measure the effect of partially shading a 3TTSC in this module and develop an electrical simulation to model our experimental results. In the simulations we determine the dissipated power in the top and bottom cells due to the current mismatch caused by partial shading. Our results reveal that the shaded top and bottom cell as well as the adjacent top cell dissipate power when a single 3TTSC is shaded. The two top cells share the dissipated power. Our simulated power dissipation correlates with temperature measurements of the 3TTSC PV module in a steady-state sun simulator. Therefore, in a 3TTSC PV module the temperature of a shaded cell is lower than in a module with 2T configuration. This is an advantage of PV modules with 3T tandem solar cells in terms of reliability and long-term stability.
Keywords
- 3-terminal solar cell, PV module reliability, Solar module interconnection
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Materials Science(all)
- Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
- Energy(all)
- Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment
- Materials Science(all)
- Surfaces, Coatings and Films
Sustainable Development Goals
Cite this
- Standard
- Harvard
- Apa
- Vancouver
- BibTeX
- RIS
In: Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, Vol. 219, 110811, 01.2021.
Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Partial shading of one solar cell in a photovoltaic module with 3-terminal cell interconnection
AU - Witteck, Robert
AU - Blankemeyer, Susanne
AU - Siebert, Michael
AU - Köntges, Marc
AU - Schulte-Huxel, Henning
N1 - Funding information: The results were generated in the SUPERPV project (Grant Agreement No. 792245) funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program and supported by the 27plus6 project (grant FKZ 03EE1056A) funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. The results were generated in the SUPERPV project (Grant Agreement No. 792245 ) funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program and supported by the 27plus6 project (grant FKZ 03EE1056A ) funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy.
PY - 2021/1
Y1 - 2021/1
N2 - We examine the electrical and thermal characteristics of a photovoltaic module with three-terminal cell interconnection when partially shading a solar cell by experimentally verified modeling. For the interconnection of multi junction and tandem solar cells a two- (2T), three- (3T), and four-terminal (4T) cell architecture is conceivable. The 3T architecture featuring a combination of parallel and series interconnection combines the advantageous of 2T and 4T cells without their drawbacks. We build a photovoltaic (PV) module with silicon solar cells in a 3T tandem solar cell interconnection configuration (3TTSC PV module) to emulate a solar module with 20 3TTSC. To the best of our knowledge, no 3TTSC PV module with more than five solar cells has been shown in previous studies. We measure the effect of partially shading a 3TTSC in this module and develop an electrical simulation to model our experimental results. In the simulations we determine the dissipated power in the top and bottom cells due to the current mismatch caused by partial shading. Our results reveal that the shaded top and bottom cell as well as the adjacent top cell dissipate power when a single 3TTSC is shaded. The two top cells share the dissipated power. Our simulated power dissipation correlates with temperature measurements of the 3TTSC PV module in a steady-state sun simulator. Therefore, in a 3TTSC PV module the temperature of a shaded cell is lower than in a module with 2T configuration. This is an advantage of PV modules with 3T tandem solar cells in terms of reliability and long-term stability.
AB - We examine the electrical and thermal characteristics of a photovoltaic module with three-terminal cell interconnection when partially shading a solar cell by experimentally verified modeling. For the interconnection of multi junction and tandem solar cells a two- (2T), three- (3T), and four-terminal (4T) cell architecture is conceivable. The 3T architecture featuring a combination of parallel and series interconnection combines the advantageous of 2T and 4T cells without their drawbacks. We build a photovoltaic (PV) module with silicon solar cells in a 3T tandem solar cell interconnection configuration (3TTSC PV module) to emulate a solar module with 20 3TTSC. To the best of our knowledge, no 3TTSC PV module with more than five solar cells has been shown in previous studies. We measure the effect of partially shading a 3TTSC in this module and develop an electrical simulation to model our experimental results. In the simulations we determine the dissipated power in the top and bottom cells due to the current mismatch caused by partial shading. Our results reveal that the shaded top and bottom cell as well as the adjacent top cell dissipate power when a single 3TTSC is shaded. The two top cells share the dissipated power. Our simulated power dissipation correlates with temperature measurements of the 3TTSC PV module in a steady-state sun simulator. Therefore, in a 3TTSC PV module the temperature of a shaded cell is lower than in a module with 2T configuration. This is an advantage of PV modules with 3T tandem solar cells in terms of reliability and long-term stability.
KW - 3-terminal solar cell
KW - PV module reliability
KW - Solar module interconnection
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85092103518&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.solmat.2020.110811
DO - 10.1016/j.solmat.2020.110811
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85092103518
VL - 219
JO - Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells
JF - Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells
SN - 0927-0248
M1 - 110811
ER -