Hotspots and performance evaluation of crystalline-silicon and thin-film photovoltaic modules

The reliability of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels is significantly affected by the formation of hotspots in active operation. In this paper, hotspots are analyzed in conventional crystalline-silicon (c-Si) and emerging thin-film (TF) Copper Indium Selenide (CIS) PV modules, along with the investigation of the shading effects on their performance. Both module technologies behave differently in varying shade scenarios with the CIS TF panel technology showing superior results in terms of hotspots and the power output. The better performance in CIS TF is attributed to its monolithic panel architecture, which allows better redistribution of the voltages and currents within the module. It was observed that, for a typical module, the overall shadow-induced reverse temperature is lower in CIS TF modules. This paper therefore provides useful insights for PV system planning and operation for regions with high average temperatures along with potential issues due to partial shadings.