Comments on: Durability is more important than record-breaking solar cell efficiencies /2024/11/durability-is-more-important-than-record-breaking-solar-cell-efficiencies/ Covering the world of solar power technology, development and installation. Wed, 11 Dec 2024 14:08:13 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2 By: Solarman2 /2024/11/durability-is-more-important-than-record-breaking-solar-cell-efficiencies/#comment-148178 Wed, 11 Dec 2024 14:08:13 +0000 /?p=107890#comment-148178 For instance, sometime from the 1980’s into the 2000’s Boron was used to ‘dope’ solar Cells to harden them from micro-cracking allowing the silicon cells used today to have performance as a typical quality cell of 2% LID degradation the first year and from 0.25%-0.5% degradation each year after. So, a panel manufactured today would represent as a STC 400Wp panel would degrade 2% the first year of use to 392 watts STC output, then outside 0.5% each year after, so, over 30 years in service, typical panel output would have ‘degraded’ from initial 400Wp to around 391Wp after 30 years of ‘service’. The studies I’ve come across so far, doesn’t look at the PTC or NOCT of panels during long term service over decades. Again Borosilicate glass helps harden the protection and light retention in the solar cell structure while hardening the panel from external heat, light and impact from things like hail that helps assure a long lasting robust product.

In the near future, high power laser annealing of ‘printed’ reel to reel or printed reel to reel panel processes performed in inert gas atmospheres, may formulate in some current cell technology that is getting 24% or a little better off of a manufacturing line that could last 30 years of service with 1%-1.5% total degradation leaving a prospect of a solar PV technology that could last 50 + years if not mechanically damaged. Now it is time to design the inverter and battery pack that could also last 50 + years in daily operations for the individual energy system trifecta.

]]>