Degradation of photovoltaic (PV) modules is preferably caused by several factors such as potential induced degradation (PID), bypass diode failures in short circuit conditions, high light-induced degradation (LID), hotspots/ shaded cells, and cracked cells.
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed. The degradation of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules is caused by a number of factors that have an impact on their effectiveness, performance, and lifetime. One of the reasons contributing to the decline in solar PV performance is the aging issue.
Utilizing solar PV to generate energy is not a simple operation due to degradation, which can result in a reduction in solar PV performance and efficiency [1, 2]. According to recent studies, the rate of degradation varies between 0.6% and 0.7% per year [3, 4].
A fundamental aspect of a PV cell’s deterioration is material degradation or internal degradation, which may not be visible to the naked eye but affects solar PV’s performance. The deterioration of solar cells is brought on by the reduction in the semiconductor band gap that occurs at increased ambient temperatures .
The results showed that 100 % delamination over the cell surface can lead to up to 36 % loss in P max in a solar cell, which can cause significant mismatch losses at the module level. Further, delamination can catalyse other degradation modes by providing paths for moisture ingression.
The delamination of PV modules can be a significant problem, as it can lead to the formation of air gaps and moisture ingress, which can reduce the efficiency of the module and ultimately result in its failure . The presence of air pockets or voids between the solar cells and the EVA encapsulant layer can reduce the fill factor of a solar cell.