To assess the performance of thin-film amorphous silicon (a-Si)
devices operating in different climatic conditions, three identical
sets of commercially available a-Si PV modules from five different
manufacturers were simultaneously deployed outdoors in three sites
with distinct climates (i.e. Arizona-USA, Colorado-USA and Florianopolis-Brazil)
in a round robin exposure experiment. The four-year experiment aims
to determine the light-induced degradation and stabilization characteristics
of a-Si regarding specific history of exposure, and to monitor and
compare degradation rates in different climates. We present results
from the first year of measurements, showing that modules deployed
at the site with the highest minimum operating temperature experienced
the highest stabilized output level.
Round-robin
testing funded and managed by NREL