0000000000321255
AUTHOR
Muhammad Tayyib
Accelerated Light-Induced Defect Transformation Study of Elkem Solar Grade Silicon
AbstractSolar cells made of silicon feedstock from a metallurgical route must qualify not only the initial efficiency, but must also be comparable to the solar cells made from reference polysilicon on the spectral response after light induced degradation. A detailed comparative study of light induced defects and its impact on cell performance is necessary for both materials. We have studied accelerated light induced degradation (ALID) defect transformation for Elkem Solar Silicon and polysilicon solar cells by selecting wafers from different positions from respective silicon bricks. Active boron-oxygen complexes and iron ions in multicrystalline silicon solar cells have been analyzed, and t…
Impurity analyses of silicon wafers from different manufacturing routes and their impact on LID of finished solar cells
Summarizes the measurements of impurity concentrations in directionally solidified silicon ingots from different feedstocks. The substitutional Carbon and interstitial Oxygen are measured on as-sawn wafers using FTIR. Active iron concentration is mapped on a-Si:H passivated wafers. It is observed that these impurities present in Elkem Solar Grade Silicon (ESS™) concentrations are comparable to the standard polysilicon which are in the acceptable ranges for silicon for solar industry. The measured LID of the finished solar cells is also comparable.
Performance assessment of a grid-connected mc-Si PV system made up of silicon material from different manufacturing routes
Summarises the performance of an Elkem Solar photovoltaic (PV) system installed in the Sunbelt Region (between 35 North and 35 South) in Hyderabad, India, which has been fully operational since August 2012. The PV system consists of 28 multicrystalline silicon PV modules made from the standard Siemens process and from material produced by a metallurgical route - the Elkem Solar Silicon (ESS™) process. A comparative performance study of the ESS™ modules with respect to standard polysilicon has been carried out under the various climatic and solar radiation conditions at the location. The present study suggests that the ESS™ PV modules have a slightly better performance than standard polysili…
Two years performance comparison of Elkem Solar multicrystalline silicon with polysilicon in a PV grid-connected system
This abstract summarizes two years performance of an Elkem Solar and polysilicon photovoltaic (PV) system installed in the Sunbelt Region, which has been fully operational since 2011. The PV system consists of 28 multicrystalline silicon PV modules made from the standard Siemens process and from material produced by a metallurgical route - the Elkem Solar Silicon (ESS®) process. The present study suggests that after two years of field operation, both types of modules show similar degradation of power at STC. The ESS® PV modules have better performance than standard polysilicon modules as a function of solar irradiation, and thereby the total kWh generated has been slightly higher for the ES…
Test of the European Joint Research Centre performance model for c-Si PV modules
The performance of ten c-Si PV modules is studied at different levels of illumination and module temperatures and is modeled in terms of relative efficiency with respect to Standard Testing Conditions (STC). A recently proposed model is tested in Nordic conditions for generic mono- and mc-Si devices with screen-printed cells as well as for some high-efficiency cell designs. Two of the modules are field aged. Averaged model coefficients are derived and compared to values found in the literature. Irradiance and module temperatures measured in 2011 are then used to estimate the expected annual energy yields. The measured yields equal the predicted ones within 1.6% (mean bias error −1.0%) which…
Microscopic defects and impurity analyses of multicrystalline silicon solar cells from different manufacturing routes
It is important to fully understand the physical behavior of solar cells made by materials from alternative process routes. Solar cells from Elkem Solar Grade Silicon and standard polysilicon have been investigated with light beam induced current and electroluminescence imaging. The low efficiency regions have been further analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy under different imaging modes. It was found that cell regions of low performance had undergone plastic deformations resulting in the creation of crystalline defects appearing as subgrain patterns. Similar patterns were observed in both ESS™ and standard polysilicon. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and electron backscatte…
Initial light-induced degradation study of multicrystalline modules made from silicon material processed through different manufacturing routes
The paper presents results of initial lightinduced degradation (LID) of multicrystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) modules made of crystalline silicon from different manufacturing processes. The modules were installed within the Sunbelt, in Hyderabad, India. Current-voltage (I–V) characteristics are measured and infra-red (IR) images of the modules are taken at regular intervals. A relationship of the IV degradation with the IR images is discussed. Results from laboratory LID tests at room temperature are performed parallel to the outdoor degradation of PV modules. It was found that the total LID, measured on the module level, after the initial 40 hours is similar for both materials resulti…
Influence of spectral composition on the temperature coefficients of solar cells from Elkem Solar
The temperature coefficients of solar cells from two different feedstocks — a compensated silicon, the Elkem Solar Silicon (ESS®), and polysilicon - under full and selective parts of the light spectrum are presented based on results obtained using a AAA sun simulator. These results are of particular interest in understanding the possible causes behind the better temperature coefficients usually observed for ESS® compared to polysilicon solar cells when measured with a full AM1.5 spectrum. The optical filtered lights from four different regions of the spectrum have been used to examine the influence of temperature coefficients on the spectral composition. ESS® solar cells showed considerable…
Outdoor Performance of 10 year Old a-Si and Poly-Si Modules in southern Norway conditions
The outdoor performance of 10 years modules has been measured in southern Norway conditions. For this study, Poly-Si and a-Si modules are selected and the measurements are carried out using a portable electronic load. The I–V characteristics and maximum power have been recorded for several modules of each technology. It is found that Poly-Si modules perform very well even after 10 years of span whereas some of a-Si modules have visual degradation which causes significant power losses. The experimentally outdoor monitored values of P mp , V mp , short circuit current (I sc ), Open circuit voltage (V oc ) and efficiency for different modules are compared with manufacturer's values.
UV-induced Degradation Study of Multicrystalline Silicon Solar Cells Made from Different Silicon Materials
Abstract The effect of ultraviolet-induced degradation (UV-ID) on solar cells made from two different solar grade materials has been compared. By using identical wafer and cell production units, effects originating in the two materials; solar grade produced by the Elkem Solar method (ESS™) was compared to standard polysilicon solar cells. Silicon wafers were selected precisely from similar positions from respective silicon bricks to process identical standard solar cells. The quantum efficiency maps at particular laser wavelengths and IV parameters of all solar cells were measured before and after UV-ID to visualize defects sites in the solar cells and to observe the extent of degradation. …
Irradiance Dependent Temperature Coefficients for MC Solar Cells from Elkem Solar Grade Silicon in Comparison with Reference Polysilicon
Abstract An increase in sun intensity enhances the output power of the solar cells, but at the same time the rise of cell temperature affects its electrical performance negatively. The present authors have made a comparative study on temperature coefficients at various irradiances of multicrystalline solar cells made from the standard Siemens process and from material produced by a metallurgical route – the Elkem Solar Silicon (ESS®) process. Such temperature coefficients measured while exposed to various irradiance levels are essential to build a better understanding and prediction of field performance of solar cells manufactured from various feedstock types. In the current experiment, the…
Outdoor performance of north-facing multicrystalline modules in Southern Norway
The present paper deals with reports on an outdoor performance evaluation of multicrystalline modules facing north in Southern Norway. The relevance of this study is mainly for building integrated systems where some of the facades are in a far from optimum position. The impact of shading on the photovoltaic modules' performance is also evaluated. A dedicated experimental set up has been created to study the PV modules performance under the above mentioned conditions. The results indicate significant power extraction from the PV modules even in the north facing direction. Effects of shadowing are also considered.