Energy Rating Analysis of Heterojunction PV Modules

This work analyses the Climate Specific Energy Rating (CSER) of three heterojunction (HJT) PV devices from the same production batch, following the methodology outlined in IEC 61853-1 [1]. The objective is to assess the reliability and repeatability of the performance analysis and to determine if testing three modules is necessary, or whether fewer tests could provide equally reliable results, thus reducing measurement time and costs. This study is focused on HJT technology as one of the solar PV that has gained huge industrial popularity over the last decade. However, it presents challenges during characterization due to capacitive effects and temporal metastability, known as “dark ageing”. Such effects require the use of non-routine instrumentation like steady-state solar simulators and complex measurement protocols. This study also investigates the influence of irradiance and temperature on module performance, as well as the electrical response of modules under different climatic profiles (IEC 61853-4 [2]), with a particular focus on CSER and annual energy yield.