Abstract:

Photovoltaic modules experience various forms of degradation throughout their lifecycle, including during operation, transportation, installation and maintenance. Among common degradation modes, cracks are a significant factor contributing to the deterioration of photovoltaic panels. Indeed, the direct link between cracks and the efficiency loss of a photovoltaic module has not definitively been established to date. Therefore, the current study was focused on investigating the influence of the crack depth within a heterojunction solar cell using a finite element model. By conducting steady-state simulations of the PN junction, the study explored crack depths ranging from 0 to 5 µm. The results revealed a linear decrease in the short-circuit current with an increasing crack depth. Moreover, a substantial drop in the open-circuit voltage was observed for crack depths up to 0.25 µm. The overall efficiency of the solar cell was found to decrease markedly from 19.97% to 12.94% when the crack depth reached 5 µm. These findings highlight the importance of understanding and mitigating the impact of cracks on the performance of photovoltaic modules.

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