6533b825fe1ef96bd1281d69

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Two years performance comparison of Elkem Solar multicrystalline silicon with polysilicon in a PV grid-connected system

M. B. PrakashT.s. SurendraN. RamchanderMuhammad TayyibA. V. SarmaM. RamanjaneyuluJan Ove OddenTor Oskar SaetreR. Muneeshwar

subject

Materials scienceSiliconchemistrybusiness.industryPerformance comparisonPhotovoltaic systemElectrical engineeringchemistry.chemical_elementbusinessGridEngineering physics

description

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 ESS® modules.

https://doi.org/10.1109/pvsc.2014.6925623