SPONSORED: The Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute (QEERI), part of Hamad bin Khalifa University, is ramping up its activities in solar research and testing capabilities for desert environments, and launching a new energy, water and environment nexus conference later this year.
The solar industry gets to grips with the bewildering array of new module technologies at the second edition of the PV ModuleTech event in Penang, Malaysia. The conference raised a huge number of questions such as how to evaluate bifacial technology and whether it might rise faster than predicted, how long p-type multicrystalline has left in the running and the perennial issue of quality, to name a few.
PV Tech caught up with Daniel Chang, technical director at major China-based PV manufacturer JinkoSolar, to discuss the performance of installed PERC products, new testing regimes, what consumers are asking for and how to release new modules to market.
Module failure | Defective modules causing power losses in PV systems need to be easily detected
with a rapid and cost-effective inspection method. UV fluorescence of module encapsulation polymers is used for the fast detection of module failures under daylight conditions without disconnection, allowing the inspection of up to 200 modules in an hour during daytime
SPONSORED: Falling system prices have been a key driver of PV's recent growth and competitiveness, but upfront costs are only one part of the equation for long-term profitability within the solar power industry. Maximising any given system’s cumulative power output over its lifetime is critical to lowering the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) and maximising investment returns.
Some solar projects in India have seen module performance drop 10% in first year or 8% in the third year alone, according to Mahindra Susten field tests.
Dust and sand on PV arrays in the desert can have a negative impact on module performance, but so too can the automated solutions available to clean them.
