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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Revisiting the Effects of Photovoltaic Module Efficiency on Installed System Cost and Market Adoption

We conduct bottom-up analysis of how PV module efficiency could influence residential rooftop installed system costs, using models with improved representation of how soft costs and power electronics are affected by efficiency. We show that the amount of system installed cost savings resulting from high efficiency modules depends on whether or not the system is area-constrained, with much larger savings for the area-constrained case. We then estimate the fraction of physically area-constrained rooftops in the United States to be 61%, with variation between 20% to over 80% of rooftops depending on the state. We find that fraction of area-constrained systems could grow to over 88% by 2050 if building and transportation loads are electrified.

efficiency↗
DOE OSTI2021

Bifacial Photovoltaic Modules and Systems: Experience and Results from International Research and Pilot Applications

Within the framework of IEA PVPS, Task 13 aims to provide support to market actors working to improve the operation, the reliability and the quality of PV components and systems. Operational data from PV systems in different climate zones compiled within the project will help provide the basis for estimates of the current situation regarding PV reliability and performance. The general setting of Task 13 provides a common platform to summarize and report on technical aspects affecting the quality, performance, reliability and lifetime of PV systems in a wide variety of environments and applications. By working together across national boundaries we can all take advantage of research and experience from each member country and combine and integrate this knowledge into valuable summaries of best practices and methods for ensuring PV systems perform at their optimum and continue to provide competitive return on investment. Task 13 has so far managed to create the right framework for the calculations of various parameters that can give an indication of the quality of PV components and systems. The framework is now there and can be used by the industry who has expressed appreciation towards the results included in the high-quality reports. The IEA PVPS countries participating in Task 13 are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, and the United States of America.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2023

Hydroscanner: Instrumentation for Water Ingress Imaging in Photovoltaic Module Packaging Materials

A new iteration of the Hydroscanner prototype was designed and built during the execution of the contract. Compared to the previous designs, the communication port was changed from ethernet to USB C, since it provides a more seamless integration as a peripheral unit. An additional advantage is that one single port can be used for both communication and power up of the infrared camera. Although the power requirements are higher than the typical amount provided by a laptop computer, the camera can be run as a peripheral from a docking station when connected to a thunderbolt charging port. The software interface was modified to accommodate two imaging modes, an 8-bit and 14-bit image display. The 8-bit images use a custom colorization scheme that divides all pixels in the image into bins of equal width, such that images containing a wide range of brightness display the intermediate pixel intensities in greyscale values that enhance the contrast. The 14-bit images provide the direct readout from the focal plane array of the camera and can be saved as a text file for later processing in other software packages (MATLAB, Python).

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2020

Characterizing photovoltaic backsheet adhesion degradation using the wedge and single cantilever beam tests, Part I: Field Modules

Photovoltaic backsheets are exposed to harsh outdoor weathering conditions throughout their service lives that can compromise their protective function, through adhesive debonding between their constituent layers and between the backsheet and the module. We report a large-scale study on adhesive degradation was conducted on 37 field-exposed modules, that spanned 19 different module manufacturers, that were deployed among six Köppen–Geiger climatic zones, and that were fielded between 0 and 28 years. Six outer layer polymer classes were identified among the backsheets: polyamide (PA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), fluoroethylene vinyl ether copolymer (FEVE), and tetrafluoroethylene hexafluoropropylene vinylidene fluoride copolymer (THV). Two adhesion tests were used to measure the adhesive strength: the wedge test and the width-tapered single-cantilever beam (SCB) test. Adhesion energies were compared across exposure time and Köppen–Geiger climatic zone. Many of the PET-, PVF-, and PVDF-based backsheets experienced degradation of the adhesive layer between the backsheet outer and core layers. A consistent trend of decreasing adhesion energy with exposure time was observed in five out of the six backsheet types. Trends among adhesion energy and climatic zone, while expected, were not observed, possibly due to broad ranges in temperature, humidity, and precipitation defining Köppen–Geiger climatic zones. The cantilever beam measurements produced an upper cutoff of approximately 100 J/m 2 , above which no modules exhibited field delamination. The results are part of a two-part study quantifying adhesion in both field-weathered and indoor-exposed PV backsheets.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Coupled-DC Module-Based Photovoltaic System With Power Mismatch-Tolerated Modulation

Here, this article presents a coupled-DC power module-based cascaded multilevel converter integrating utility-scale photovoltaic (PV) generations (coupled-DC-link power module (CDPM)-PV). CDPM-PV inherits merits such as modular structure, distributed maximum power point tracking (MPPT), direct distribution grid access, from cascaded H-bridge-based PV (CHB-PV) system. But, it supplies more flexible power routes than CHB-PV, through coupling different DC-links. Power routes are intended for enlarging the entire operating range including conditions of active power mismatch arising from nonideal elements such as partial shading and parameter variations. The system construction with its self-balancing principle is first introduced. Switching states for different operating regions are then derived based on the principle of easing implementation. Based on these, a modulation strategy including initial switching pattern selection and coordinated power routing is proposed to allow module-mismatches. Operating ranges are also analyzed and compared with conventional CHB-PV. Simulation results of a 3-MW/13.8-kV system developed in MATLAB/Simulink platform, and experiment results based on a 2.4-kW/311-V setup are presented and have demonstrated that the CDPM-PV topology with proposed modulation strategy can not only ride through a larger range of module mismatches, but also improve solar power utilization and system efficiency owing to noncompromised MPPT.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Motivation, benefits, and challenges for new photovoltaic material & module developments

Abstract In the last decade and longer, photovoltaic module manufacturers have experienced a rapidly growing market along with a dramatic decrease in module prices. Such cost pressures have resulted in a drive to develop and implement new module designs, which either increase performance and/or lifetime of the modules or decrease the cost to produce them. In this paper, the main motivations and benefits but also challenges for material innovations will be discussed. Many of these innovations include the use of new and novel materials in place of more conventional materials or designs. As a result, modules are being produced and sold without a long-term understanding about the performance and reliability of these new materials. This has led to unexpected new failure mechanisms occurring few years after deployment, such as potential induced degradation or backsheet cracking. None of these failure modes have been detected after the back then common single stress tests. New accelerated test approaches are based on a combination or sequence of multiple stressors that better reflect outdoor conditions. That allows for identification of new degradation modes linked to new module materials or module designs.

Oreski, G. (ORCID:0000000342239047)↗
DOE OSTI2021

Modeling Spectrally-Selective Reflection for Thermal Management in Monofacial and Bifacial Modules

Parasitic absorption in photovoltaic modules is a major source of waste heat, which drives operating temperatures 20-30K above ambient. Spectrally-selective sub-bandgap reflection can reduce parasitic absorption, thereby improving module efficiency and power output. Here, we investigate the performance of 1-D spectrally-selective mirrors in monofacial Al BSF and PERC modules, and bifacial PERC modules. In monofacial modules, these mirrors offer >1.2% increase in energy yield compared to single-layer anti-reflection coatings, while cooling by over 1K on average. Mirrors reduced bifacial module parasitic absorption by up to 34 W/m2 out of 1240 W/m2 incident.

41 EE - Solar Energy Technologies Office (EE-4S)↗