Electrochemical degradation of amorphous-silicon photovoltaic modulesTechniques of module electrochemical corrosion research, developed during reliability studies of crystalline-silicon modules (C-Si), have been applied to this new investigation into amorphous-silicon (a-Si) module reliability. Amorphous-Si cells, encapsulated in the polymers polyvinyl butyral (PVB) and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), were exposed for more than 1200 hours in a controlled 85 C/85 percent RH environment, with a constant 500 volts applied between the cells and an aluminum frame. Plotting power output reduction versus charge transferred reveals that about 50 percent a-Si cell failures can be expected with the passage of 0.1 to 1.0 Coulomb/cm of cell-frame edge length; this threshold is somewhat less than that determined for C-Si modules.
Document ID
19870032667
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Mon, G. R. (Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Ross, R. G., Jr. (California Institute of Technology Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, United States)