There is a renewed interest in photovoltaic solar thermal (PVT) hybrid systems, which harvest solar energy for heat and electricity. Typically, a main focus of a PVT system is to cool the photovoltaic (PV) cells to improve the electrical performance, however, this causes the thermal component to under-perform compared to a solar thermal collector. The low temperature coefficients of amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) allow for the PV cells to be operated at higher temperatures and are a potential candidate for a more symbiotic PVT system. The fundamental challenge of a-Si:H PV is light-induced degradation known as the Staebler-Wronski effect (SWE). Fortunately, SWE is reversible and the a-Si:H PV efficiency can be returned to its initial state if the cell is annealed. Thus an opportunity exists to deposit a-Si:H directly on the solar thermal absorber plate where the cells could reach the high temperatures required for annealing.
In this study, this opportunity is explored experimentally. First a-Si:H PV cells were annealed for 1 hour at 100degreeC on a 12 hour cycle and for the remaining time the cells were degraded at 50degreeC in order to simulate stagnation of a PVT system for 1 hour once a day. It was found that, when comparing the cells after stabilization at normal 50degreeC degradation, this annealing sequence resulted in a 10.6% energy gain when compared to a cell that was only degraded at 50degreeC.
Pearce, J. (2019). Effects on Amorphous Silicon Photovoltaic Performance from High-temperature Annealing Pulses in Photovoltaic Thermal Hybrid Devices. Afribary. Retrieved from https://track.afribary.com/works/effects-on-amorphous-silicon-photovoltaic-performance-from-high-temperature-annealing-pulses-in-photovoltaic-thermal-hybrid-devices
Pearce, Joshua "Effects on Amorphous Silicon Photovoltaic Performance from High-temperature Annealing Pulses in Photovoltaic Thermal Hybrid Devices" Afribary. Afribary, 22 Apr. 2019, https://track.afribary.com/works/effects-on-amorphous-silicon-photovoltaic-performance-from-high-temperature-annealing-pulses-in-photovoltaic-thermal-hybrid-devices. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.
Pearce, Joshua . "Effects on Amorphous Silicon Photovoltaic Performance from High-temperature Annealing Pulses in Photovoltaic Thermal Hybrid Devices". Afribary, Afribary, 22 Apr. 2019. Web. 25 Dec. 2024. < https://track.afribary.com/works/effects-on-amorphous-silicon-photovoltaic-performance-from-high-temperature-annealing-pulses-in-photovoltaic-thermal-hybrid-devices >.
Pearce, Joshua . "Effects on Amorphous Silicon Photovoltaic Performance from High-temperature Annealing Pulses in Photovoltaic Thermal Hybrid Devices" Afribary (2019). Accessed December 25, 2024. https://track.afribary.com/works/effects-on-amorphous-silicon-photovoltaic-performance-from-high-temperature-annealing-pulses-in-photovoltaic-thermal-hybrid-devices