Modelling and degradation study on a copper indium diselenide module

This paper illustrates the testing of a commercially available copper indium diselenide (CIS) module under real operating conditions, and the development of a semi-empirical model. The tests were carried out under different cell temperature, solar radiation and air mass conditions. A semi-empirical efficiency model was adopted to correlate 1168 measured data sets before degradation. The data was then transformed to validate the appropriateness of the model. Identical tests were repeated after one year's exposure to sunlight. The effect on the efficiency model was then investigated. In particular the change in STC efficiency and temperature coefficient will be discussed as an example of application of the efficiency model. Following detailed analysis of the results, it is suggested that the PV industry broadens disclosure of module parameters in future technical data published.     

Efficiency model for photovoltaic modules and demonstration of its application to energy yield estimation

A new method has been proposed [W. Durisch, K.H. Lam, J. Close, Behaviour of a copper indium gallium diselenide module under real operating conditions, in: Proceedings of the World Renewable Energy Congress VII, Pergamon Press, Oxford, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2002, ISBN 0-08-044079-7] for the calculation of the annual yield of photovoltaic (PV) modules at selected sites, using site-specific meteorological data. These yields are indispensable for calculating the expected cost of electricity generation for different modules, thus allowing the type of module to be selected with the highest yield-to-cost ratio for a specific installation site. The efficiency model developed and used for calculating the yields takes three independent variables into account: cell temperature, solar irradiance and relative air mass. Open parameters of the model for a selected module are obtained from current/voltage (I/V) characteristics, measured outdoors at Paul Scherrer Institute's test facility under real operating conditions. From the model, cell and module efficiencies can be calculated under all relevant operating conditions. Yield calculations were performed for five commercial modules (BP Solar BP 585 F, Kyocera LA361K54S, Uni-Solar UPM-US-30, Siemens CIS ST40 and Wuerth WS11003) for a sunny site in Jordan (Al Qawairah) for which reliable measured meteorological data are available. These represent mono-crystalline, poly-crystalline and amorphous silicon as well as with copper–indium-diselenide, CuInSe₂ PV modules. The annual yield for these modules will be presented and discussed.