UV-Induced Degradation of New Generation Bifacial HJT, IBC, PERC, and TOPCON PV Modules

Desert regions are ideally suited for photovoltaic (PV) deployment due to their high solar irradiance, extended daylight hours, and clear skies. However, harsh conditions, including intense UV radiation and extreme temperatures, present significant challenges to PV module reliability, with UV-induced degradation (UVID) emerging as a major concern. This paper examines the stability of PERC, IBC, HJT, and TOPCON PV modules under accelerated UV exposure. Key findings indicate that IBC cells exhibit the highest UV resilience with less than 0.7% degradation. In contrast, TOPCon cells showed greater sensitivity, with approximately 3.2% power loss. PERC and HJT cells demonstrated power degradations of 2.2% and 1.1%, respectively, at an exposure level of 150 kWh/m<sup xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">2</sup>. The maximum possible degradation (∆P<inf xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">∞</inf>) is evaluated using the theoretical model based on experimental data. These values indicate the following trend in the maximum possible degradation: TOPCon > PERC > HJT > IBC. Analyses using EL & UVF imaging provide critical insights into UV-induced PV module defects. The study enhances our understanding of new-generation PV modules under prolonged UV exposure, with the ultimate goal of informed technology selection and improving the reliability of PV systems in desert environments.