New testing performed at France’s oldest PV system have proven that its photo voltaic modules can nonetheless present efficiency values in keeping with what the producers promised.
From pv journal France
French affiliation Hespul was created in 1991 to arrange the primary photovoltaic plant related to the nationwide community in France. Following the inauguration of the Phébus 1 energy plant on June 14, 1992 in Ain, Hespul determined to develop its exercise to advertise photovoltaics in France, which on the time was virtually non-existent.
The affiliation has now revealed that round 10 m2 of the panels, comparable to round 1 kW, have been dismantled from the system final 12 months and submitted to a collection of exams in accordance with the worldwide requirements.
The panels have been positioned in a darkish room at a managed temperature and uncovered to a lightweight flash of 1000 W/m2 to measure their most instantaneous energy. This worth was then in comparison with their manufacturing facility measurements.
The exams have been enabled by way of a company sponsorship by the France-based certification physique Certisolis and French photo voltaic specialist Isowatt, which carried out the flashing of the panels and the dismantling/reassembly, respectively .
The testing confirmed that the modules nonetheless produce on common 79.5% of their preliminary energy after 31 years of operation. In a earlier testing carried out 11 years in the past, the panels have been discovered to provide 91.7% of their preliminary energy. “This consequence exceeds the efficiency promised by the producers who mentioned the panels would have maintained 80% of their output after 25 years,” mentioned Hespul.
The drop in efficiency is on common 20.5%, or 0.66% per 12 months over 31 years, and 1.11% per 12 months during the last 11 years. For a similar collection of modules, two classes have been noticed: an element whose efficiency drop may be very vital after 20 years (1/3 of the modules put in): 33.9% on common over 31 years, or 1.09% per 12 months. And one other whose decline stays in keeping with the 2012 exams: 13% on common over 31 years or 0.42% per 12 months.
“These outcomes affirm these of varied scientific research referring to the topic,” continued the affiliation, such because the TISO‐10 (TIcino SOlare) PV system, which was grid-connected in Switzerland in 1982. The exams performed on the Swiss system confirmed variations in efficiency between modules, which was attributed to components within the encapsulants that have been equipped by three totally different producers.
One other extra latest research carried out by the US Division of Vitality’s Nationwide Renewable Vitality Laboratory (NREL) on 1,700 American websites totaling 7.2 GW of energy, confirmed a median degradation of round -0.75%/12 months. Moveover, one other analysis targeted on 4,300 residential installations in operation in Europe and used totally different information processing methodologies. Relying on the strategies, a median lack of -0.36% to -0.67%/12 months was obtained.
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