Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Conrad Ferrer, Oriol Avino, Miquel Vellvehi, Xavier Jorda, Xavier Perpina
Summary: A novel solution for off-chip electrothermal studies in power devices at die level and short timescales is proposed in this study. The proposed method involves acquiring a sequence of thermal images using an infrared camera and reconstructing the time evolution of the device thermal map using Fourier series. The results demonstrate that the proposed strategy significantly improves the thermal and time resolution, overcoming the limitations of the camera's frame rate and noise resolution.
IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON INSTRUMENTATION AND MEASUREMENT
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Samuel Klein, Henrique Fernandes, Hans-Georg Herrmann
Summary: This study investigates the application of lock-in thermography for solar loading thermography, highlighting the suitability of calculations based on area sources for large-scale structures. It provides an overview of extended source approximation formulas for determining material properties and demonstrates the practical application in estimating thermal effusivity of a retaining wall structure subject to natural outside heating phenomena.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhenrong Jia, Qing Ma, Zeng Chen, Lei Meng, Nakul Jain, Indunil Angunawela, Shucheng Qin, Xiaolei Kong, Xiaojun Li, Yang (Michael) Yang, Haiming Zhu, Harald Ade, Feng Gao, Yongfang Li
Summary: Reducing energy loss of sub-cells is critical for high performance tandem organic solar cells. Here, the authors design and synthesize an ultra-narrow bandgap acceptor through replacement of terminal thiophene by selenophene in the central fused ring, achieving efficiency of 19% for tandem cells.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Instruments & Instrumentation
Alejandro Mateos-Canseco, Andrzej Kusiak, Jean-Luc Battaglia
Summary: The modulated photothermal radiometry principle is employed in a scanning configuration for this study. This technique allows imaging and thermal characterization at the microscale while exploring characteristic times shorter than those accessible by infrared thermography. The use of a smaller heat source than the measurement area provides increased sensitivity to in-plane heat diffusion. The application of this technique to the quantitative thermal characterization of advanced micro-structured materials is demonstrated.
REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Physical
Zhongxiao Li, Shi Fang, Haiding Sun, Ren-Jei Chung, Xiaosheng Fang, Jr-Hau He
Summary: Hydrogen, a zero-pollution, sustainable, low-cost, and high-efficiency energy source, has great potential for the 21st century. Solar water-splitting techniques, such as photovoltaic-electrolysis (PV-EC) and photoelectrochemistry (PEC), have shown promise with solar-to-hydrogen conversion efficiency over 10%. However, there is a gap between laboratory research and practical application, which can be addressed by understanding the basic principles, historical developments, and performing comprehensive techno-economic analysis.
ADVANCED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Energy & Fuels
Zhenpeng Li, Tao Ma, Hongxing Yang, Lin Lu, Ruzhu Wang
Summary: Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPVs) offer a promising solution for providing renewable electricity for achieving zero-energy buildings, but are hindered from large-scale implementations due to the difficulty of traditional photovoltaic modules in meeting the standards and aesthetics of architectural materials. The emergence of new photovoltaic materials and devices could pave the way for the future by offering diversity in colors and transparency along with comparable performance.
Article
Energy & Fuels
Seung Hoon Lee, Hae-Seok Lee, Donghwan Kim, Yoonmook Kang
Summary: This paper investigates the applicability of lock-in thermography (LIT) in diagnosing shunt defects in copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) solar modules and compares it with biased thermography. The results show that LIT has superior capabilities in enhancing signal-to-noise ratio, improving defect visibility and quantification. The thermal behavior of different types of defects under various voltage conditions is also analyzed, providing valuable insights and scientific guidelines for photovoltaic research.
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Yuan Gao, Renxing Lin, Ke Xiao, Xin Luo, Jin Wen, Xu Yue, Hairen Tan
Summary: This research explores the optimization strategy for constructing monolithic all-perovskite tandem solar cells and answers the questions of current match and minimizing current-mismatching loss through numerical simulations.
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Radwan A. Almasri, Mohamed A. Al-Anazi, A. F. Almarshoud, Mohammed S. Alshitawi, Nidal H. Abu-Hamdeh
Summary: This study analyzed the energy consumption of two masjids in Saudi Arabia and found opportunities for energy rationalization. A photovoltaic system was used to achieve nearly zero bill or nearly zero energy building conditions. The energy use intensities of the masjids were 111 kWh/m2 and 121 kWh/m2, respectively. Cooling accounted for the highest energy consumption, followed by lighting. Improving the building envelope saved about 60% of AC energy load, while increasing ambient temperature resulted in a 30% increase in electricity requirement for ACs. Changing the set-point temperature allowed for a 27% electrical energy savings on a summer day. The environmental benefits of using solar energy were also identified.
ALEXANDRIA ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Yuhan Wang, Dev Millstein, Andrew D. Mills, Seongeun Jeong, Amos Ancell
Summary: As solar energy becomes a larger part of total electricity generation, forecasting errors for solar energy are becoming more important in terms of overall load uncertainty and potential costs to electricity systems. This study examines the costs of day-ahead solar forecast errors for existing solar power plants in the United States. The results show relatively low costs for forecast errors, with only a loose correlation to the level of solar penetration.
Article
Materials Science, Characterization & Testing
Tiziana Matarrese, Davide Palumbo, Umberto Galietti
Summary: Lock-in thermography is a well-established technique for investigating fiber-reinforced polymer composite materials. This study aims to compare four well-known lock-in thermography algorithms in the transient regime to evaluate their accuracy and precision in determining defects. Experimental tests on carbon fiber-reinforced polymer test pieces and simulation data were used to analyze the algorithms' performance.
NDT & E INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Economics
Duzgun Agdas, Prabir Barooah
Summary: Much research has been conducted on rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) adoption in the US, but there is a lack of granular economic assessment at a large scale. This study provides household level PV economic assessment for a medium size city in Florida and finds that a large number of households will not benefit from solar installations. The economic viability of PV installations heavily relies on uncertain incentives, and disadvantaged communities have lower installation rates.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Geoffrey S. Kinsey, Nicholas C. Riedel-Lyngskaer, Alonso-Abella Miguel, Matthew Boyd, Marilia Braga, Chunhui Shou, Raul R. Cordero, Benjamin C. Duck, Christopher J. Fell, Sarah Feron, George E. Georghiou, Nicholas Habryl, Jim J. John, Nipon Ketjoy, Gabriel Lopez, Atse Louwen, Elijah Loyiso Maweza, Takashi Minemoto, Ankit Mittal, Cecile Molto, Guilherme Neves, Gustavo Nofuentes Garrido, Matthew Norton, Basant R. Paudyal, Enio Bueno Pereira, Yves Poissant, Lawrence Pratt, Qu Shen, Thomas Reindl, Marcus Rennhofer, Carlos D. Rodriguez-Gallegos, Ricardo Ruther, Wilfried van Sark, Miguel A. Sevillano-Bendezu, Hubert Seigneur, Jorge A. Tejero, Marios Theristis, Jan A. Tofflinger, Carolin Ulbrich, Waldeir Amaral Vilela, Xiangao Xia, Marcia A. Yamasoe
Summary: In photovoltaic power ratings, the standard solar spectrum AM1.5 is insufficient for comparing solar cells with different spectral responses. Ground-level measurements of spectral irradiance collected worldwide provide a sampling of geographic, seasonal, and diurnal variation, allowing for more accurate analysis of solar energy utility.
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Miguel Angel Reyes-Belmonte
Summary: This paper presents the trends of solar energy research and the evolution of publishing, showing a clear interest in the topic with a significant number of publications between 2015 and 2020. China, the United States, and India are the most productive countries in solar energy research, while the main thematic areas include solar cells, optical properties, nanoparticles, and more. The future of solar energy research appears promising with continued growth in publications and a wide variety of research topics.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Philippe Holzhey, Michael Prettl, Silvia Collavini, Nathan L. Chang, Michael Saliba
Summary: This article evaluates the lifetimes and efficiencies required for perovskite solar cells (PSCs) to further lower the price of commercial residential photovoltaics (PVs). It finds that using light and flexible substrates instead of heavy and rigid ones can reduce the total installed cost of PSCs and lower the necessary efficiency or lifetime to achieve the same electricity cost as commercialized silicon. Flexible PSCs present a promising commercialization route due to their low manufacturing and balance of system (BOS) deployment costs, enabling commercial viability at lower efficiencies or lifetimes.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Anna Aubele, Yakun He, Teresa Kraus, Ning Li, Elena Mena-Osteritz, Paul Weitz, Thomas Heumueller, Kaicheng Zhang, Christoph J. Brabec, Peter Baeuerle
Summary: A novel donor-acceptor dyad, 4, with excellent photovoltaic performance and stability, has been synthesized and applied in solution-processed single-material organic solar cells (SMOSCs).
ADVANCED MATERIALS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yakun He, Benedict Hanisch, Andres Osvet, Larry Luer, Anna Aubele, Peter Bauerle, Weiwei Li, Ning Li, Christoph J. Brabec
Summary: The exciton dissociation between donor and acceptor is crucial for determining the photovoltaic performance of organic solar cells. Time-resolved photoluminescence investigations offer a potential method to separately determine the exciton splitting efficiency of donor and acceptor moieties in single component materials. Post-treatment can adjust the exciton splitting efficiency of donor or acceptor moieties separately in these materials, while excessive phase separation occurs in BHJ composites under external stress.
ISRAEL JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Claudia Buerhop, Oleksandr Stroyuk, Julian Zoecklein, Tobias Pickel, Jens Hauch, Ian Marius Peters
Summary: The research identified the risk of water ingress in different backsheets and its impact on inverter shutdowns. It found that polyamide-based backsheets demonstrated more stable leakage resistance, while fluorinated coating-based backsheets showed a rapid decline in leakage resistance after 6 years of operation. The study also highlighted the varying effects of humidity and temperature on the behavior of the leakage resistance, indicating potential for more severe problems with longer operating times.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Oleksandr Stroyuk, Claudia Buerhop-Lutz, Andreas Vetter, Johannes Hepp, Jens Hauch, Ian Marius Peters, Christoph J. Brabec
Summary: This study introduces a method for structural identification of PET-based backsheets using NIRA spectroscopy, which is validated through principal component analysis of a database of different types of BSs. The method allows accurate identification of BSs with unknown structures and is feasible for field deployment. Further automation of NIRA measurements and spectral analysis is expected to elevate this tool to a non-intrusive high-throughput analysis of backsheets in operating PV module grids.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Oleksandr Stroyuk, Claudia Buerhop-Lutz, Jens Hauch, Ian Marius Peters
Summary: Solar-NIRT method allows real-time determination of the structure of polymer backsheets for PV modules, identifying different types and degradation states. Principal component analysis can be used to create a cluster map based on spectra, which can be applied for the identification of unknown samples. Solar-NIRT is a fast, non-invasive, selective tool with potential for high-throughput characterization.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Bernd Doll, Karen Forberich, Johannes Hepp, Stefan Langner, Claudia Buerhop-Lutz, Jens A. Hauch, Christoph J. Brabec, Ian Marius Peters
Summary: Energy losses in photovoltaic plants due to soiling are a global issue, and the use of luminescence imaging techniques can help detect and quantify these losses for cleaning and optimization purposes.
IEEE JOURNAL OF PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Lukas Bommes, Mathis Hoffmann, Claudia Buerhop-Lutz, Tobias Pickel, Jens Hauch, Christoph Brabec, Andreas Maier, Ian Marius Peters
Summary: This study frames fault detection in PV modules as an unsupervised domain adaptation problem, training on labeled data of one source PV plant and making predictions on another target plant. By using a ResNet-34 convolutional neural network and a k-nearest neighbor classifier, the method achieves satisfactory detection results.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Lukas Bommes, Claudia Buerhop-Lutz, Tobias Pickel, Jens Hauch, Christoph Brabec, Ian Marius Peters
Summary: To identify abnormal photovoltaic modules in large-scale plants economically, drone-mounted infrared cameras and automated video processing algorithms are frequently used. In this study, the researchers propose a method that uses incremental structure-from-motion to automatically obtain geocoordinates of all PV modules in a plant and extract multiple infrared images of each module. The method successfully maps the majority of the modules in multiple plants and reduces extraction misses compared to previous methods. The researchers also demonstrate the visualization of module temperatures and anomaly predictions using the extracted images. The proposed method improves efficiency and accuracy in identifying abnormal modules.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Claudia Buerhop, Oleksandr Stroyuk, Tobias Pickel, Jens Hauch, Ian Marius Peters
Summary: This study emphasizes the importance of maintaining high insulation resistance in polymer backsheets for the reliable operation of photovoltaic installations. The research shows that the choice of polymers significantly affects the performance and degradation rates of inverters connected to photovoltaic modules. In particular, an increase in water content in the backsheet is a sign of reduced leakage resistance. The study also reveals that certain types of backsheets have a significant impact on ground impedance and the operation of inverters, leading to yield loss.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Claudia Buerhop-Lutz, Tobias Pickel, Oleksandr Stroyuk, Jens Hauch, Ian Marius Peters
Summary: This study created a dataset that links the electrical performance of photovoltaic modules with the identity of the backsheet materials. The analysis reveals that the choice of backsheet material has an impact on the insulation resistance of strings and inverters, and different materials require different maintenance for reliable power yield.
SOLAR ENERGY MATERIALS AND SOLAR CELLS
(2022)
Article
Energy & Fuels
Claudia Buerhop, Tobias Pickel, Jens Hauch, Ian Marius Peters
Summary: In this study, a weather data independent self-referencing algorithm is introduced for performance analyses of PV power stations based on monitoring data. The algorithm allows for quantifying, locating, and visualizing the performance of each string in the power station. The findings suggest that about 10% of the strings underperform, possibly due to shading and reduced module quantity.
PROGRESS IN PHOTOVOLTAICS
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Bernd Doll, Ernst Wittmann, Larry Lueer, Johannes Hepp, Claudia Buerhop-Lutz, Jens A. Hauch, Christoph J. Brabec, Ian Marius Peters
Summary: On-site imaging of modules in photovoltaic (PV) systems requires contact-free techniques with high throughput and low cost. This study presents a photoluminescence aerial imaging (PLAI) setup that uses a hexacopter drone equipped with an illumination unit and a near-infrared camera. The setup is capable of detecting and identifying defects in PV modules and achieves a high throughput of 13.6 PV modules per minute, with a feasible throughput of 300 PV modules per minute.
PHYSICA STATUS SOLIDI-RAPID RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Oleksandr Stroyuk, Cosima Guettler, Claudia Buerhop-Lutz, Jens Hauch, Ian Marius Peters
Summary: The feasibility of identifying the backsheet composition of field-aged Si photovoltaic modules was demonstrated by analyzing the characteristic patterns of UV-excited fluorescence of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer encapsulant. The approach involves the use of vibrational spectroscopies to identify the backsheet and the creation of a database of characteristic UV-excited fluorescence patterns. By employing multivariate principal component analysis on the UV-excited fluorescence images of unknown samples, combined with the UV-excited fluorescence pattern database, the backsheet type can be identified solely from UV-excited fluorescence images. The geometric position of specific samples in the principal component plots indicates the overall degradation status of photovoltaic modules.
ACS APPLIED ENERGY MATERIALS
(2023)
Proceedings Paper
Energy & Fuels
Janine Denz, Marius I. Peters, Jens Hauch, Claudia Buerhop-Lutz
Summary: The study analyzed the degradation of different components in a PV power plant and explored the impact of different methods on relative yield loss rates. The results showed that the relative degradation rate of cell cracks was low, while the modules with cell breakages and edge shunting had higher relative yield loss rates and seasonal variations.
11TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON CRYSTALLINE SILICON PHOTOVOLTAICS (SILICONPV 2021)
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
J. Denz, J. Hepp, C. Buerhop, B. Doll, J. Hauch, C. J. Brabec, I. M. Peters
Summary: Photovoltaic modules are robust in outdoor operation, with about 1 in 250 modules failing completely each year. However, about 1 in 10 modules will develop a defect resulting in power loss, and almost every module will develop visually perceivable alterations. There is no indication of dramatic changes in future performance, but more information and reporting guidelines are needed.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2022)
