Analysis of the Effect of Potential-Induced Degradation in Commercial Photovoltaic Modules With P-Type and N-Type Cells
Abstract
Potential-Induced Degradation (PID) affects the performance of photovoltaic modules, especially under highvoltage, high-humidity, and high-temperature conditions. This study evaluates the effects of PID on commercial modules with different cell technologies: p-type (PERC) and n-type (TOPCon). Three modules were subjected to two accelerated stress cycles, each lasting 96 hours, conducted at 85 °C and 85 % relative humidity under both positive and negative bias, in accordance with IEC 61215 2:2021 and IEC TS 62804 1:2015 standards. Electroluminescence (EL) images and I–V and P–V curves were used to monitor the progression of degradation in each sample. The results showed that the p-type module exhibited high PID susceptibility under negative bias, with intense darkening and a cumulative power loss of 14.6%. However, the n-type modules, generally considered more resistant, also experienced significant degradation under both polarities, with power losses of 12.3% under positive bias and 14.3% under negative bias. These findings demonstrate that despite the structural advantages of TOPCon cells, this technology remains susceptible to PID under continuous stress in both polarities. In large-scale photovoltaic systems, these losses can proportionally affect overall performance, significantly impacting the performance ratio (PR) and energy yield over the lifetime of the plant.
Keywords
potential-induced degradation, photovoltaic modules, p-type, n-type, electroluminescence, I–V curves