International PV Module QA Task Force, Thin Film Task Group, Kick-Off Meeting
February 28, 2013
Introduction QA Task Force Thin-Film Workshop—John Wohlgemuth and Sarah Kurtz, National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)
Summary of Activities for Task Groups 2–5
Session Chairs: Veronica Bermudez (NEXCIS), Sarah Kurtz (NREL)
- Task Group 2 Thermal and Mechanical Fatigue—Chris Flueckiger, UL
- Task Group 3 Humidity, Temperature, and Voltage—John Wohlgemuth, NREL
- Task Group 4 Diodes, Shading, and Reverse Bias—Kent Whitfield, Solaria
- Task Group 5 UV, Temperature, and Humidity—David Miller, NREL
Discussion: Thin-Film Summary of Failures—Veronica Bermudez, NEXCIS, and Sarah Kurtz, NREL
Field Experience with Thin-Film Modules and Packaging Materials: ID Failure Modes
Session chairs: Neelkanth Dhere, Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC), Ryan Gaston, Dow Chemical Company
- Observed Field Failures and Reported Degradation Rates—Dirk Jordan, NREL
- Failures of Thin-Film PV Modules: Field Experience—Thomas Friesen, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI)
- Thin-Film Module Field Test Results in Japan—Keiichiro Sakurai, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)
- Performance Analysis of CIGS, CdTe, and a-Si PV Modules in the Hot and Humid Climate—Neelkanth Dhere, Shirish Pethe, Ashwani Kaul, Eric Scheneller, and Narendra Shiradkar, FSEC
- Discussion: Shared Field Experience with Thin-Film Modules—Neelkanth Dhere, FSEC, and Ryan Gaston, Dow Chemical Company
Accelerated Testing Experience with Thin-Film Modules and Materials: ID Failure Modes and Correlation with Field Results
Session chairs: Kurt Scott, Atlas Material Testing Technology, David Burns, 3M.
- Metastabilities and Their Impact on the Results of IEC 61646 Testing—Tony Sample, Joint Research Centre
- Failure Rates of Thin-Film Modules During Qualification Testing—Mani G. TamizhMani, TUVRheinland
- Considerations for Estimating Service Life of Polymeric Materials in PV Applications—Nancy Phillips and David Burns, 3M
- Discussion: Which accelerated stress tests have been useful for particular thin-film constructions? Kurt Scott, Atlas Material Testing Technology, and David Burns, 3M
March 1, 2013
What failure modes should we be most concerned with for thin-film products?
Session chairs: Alan Ward, First Solar, Daniel Cunningham, BP.
How do we move forward to address thin-film failure modes identified during the first breakout session?
Session chairs: John Wohlgemuth, NREL; Neelkanth Dhere, FSEC; Jim Lloyd, U.S. Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium (PVMC).