access icon free Effect of micro cracks on photovoltaic output power: case study based on real time long term data measurements

This study analyses the impact of micro cracks on photovoltaic (PV) module output power performance and energy production. Electroluminescence imaging technique was used to detect micro cracks affecting PV modules. The experiment was carried out on ten different PV modules installed at the University of Huddersfield, United Kingdom. The examined PV modules which contain micro cracks shows large loss in the output power comparing with the theoretical output power predictions, where the maximum power loss is equal to 80.73%. LabVIEW software was used to simulate the theoretical output power of the examined PV modules under real time long term data measurements.

Inspec keywords: power engineering computing; building integrated photovoltaics; solar cell arrays; crack detection; virtual instrumentation

Other keywords: micro cracks impact; electroluminescence imaging technique; LabVIEW software; real time long term data measurements; University of Huddersfield; micro cracks detection; photovoltaic output power; photovoltaic module output power performance; United Kingdom; energy production

Subjects: Photoelectric conversion; solar cells and arrays; Materials testing; Buildings (energy utilisation); Solar cells and arrays; Nondestructive materials testing methods; Power engineering computing; Computerised instrumentation; Solar power stations and photovoltaic power systems; Computerised instrumentation

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http://iet.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1049/mnl.2017.0205
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