Optimizing scattering behaviour of encapsulant for maximum PV energy yield

H. Goverde; I. Horvath; P. Manganiello; B. Aldalali; F. Duerinckx; A. van der Heide; E. Voroshazi; J. Szlufcik

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-56970-9_6

Optimizing scattering behaviour of encapsulant for maximum PV energy yield

H. Goverde^*, I. Horvath, P. Manganiello, B. Aldalali, F. Duerinckx, A. van der Heide, E. Voroshazi, J. Szlufcik

^*Corresponding author for this work

Photovoltaic Materials and Devices

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedings/Edited volume › Conference contribution › Scientific › peer-review

Abstract

Nowadays, material manufacturers are engineering module materials to optimize the energy production of the PV modules. One of the elements which can be influenced is the optical scattering of a material. In this study, we quantified the effect of a scattering front encapsulant on the energy production of PV modules. First, a wavelength-dependent scattering model was developed in the ray-tracing software PVlighthouse. This model was used to find the optimal scattering conditions, looking at the photo-generated current for a glass-glass PV module with flat front surface. It was shown that a gain of +0.63 mA/cm² can be obtained for optimal scattering conditions. The scattering is mostly beneficial when the light strikes the module surface at a perpendicular angle. The outcome of the optimization study was implemented in IMEC’s energy yield simulation framework. This framework was used to estimate the energy gain of PV module with scattering front encapsulant when installed in Kuwait’s desert. It was shown that an energy production gain of 1.8% can be expected in case of a glass-glass module with flat front surface and ARC coating.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	ELECTRIMACS 2019 - Selected Papers - Volume 2
Editors	Walter Zamboni, Giovanni Petrone
Publisher	Springer
Pages	65-74
Number of pages	10
ISBN (Print)	9783030569693
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56970-9_6
Publication status	Published - 2020
Event	13th International Conference of the IMACS TC1 Committee, ELECTRIMACS 2019 - Salerno, Italy Duration: 21 May 2019 → 23 May 2019

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering
Volume	697
ISSN (Print)	1876-1100
ISSN (Electronic)	1876-1119

Conference

Conference	13th International Conference of the IMACS TC1 Committee, ELECTRIMACS 2019
Country/Territory	Italy
City	Salerno
Period	21/05/19 → 23/05/19

Keywords

Optical scattering
PV energy yield modelling
Ray-tracing

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-030-56970-9_6

Cite this

Goverde, H., Horvath, I., Manganiello, P., Aldalali, B., Duerinckx, F., van der Heide, A., Voroshazi, E., & Szlufcik, J. (2020). Optimizing scattering behaviour of encapsulant for maximum PV energy yield. In W. Zamboni, & G. Petrone (Eds.), ELECTRIMACS 2019 - Selected Papers - Volume 2 (pp. 65-74). (Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering; Vol. 697). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56970-9_6

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title = "Optimizing scattering behaviour of encapsulant for maximum PV energy yield",

abstract = "Nowadays, material manufacturers are engineering module materials to optimize the energy production of the PV modules. One of the elements which can be influenced is the optical scattering of a material. In this study, we quantified the effect of a scattering front encapsulant on the energy production of PV modules. First, a wavelength-dependent scattering model was developed in the ray-tracing software PVlighthouse. This model was used to find the optimal scattering conditions, looking at the photo-generated current for a glass-glass PV module with flat front surface. It was shown that a gain of +0.63 mA/cm2 can be obtained for optimal scattering conditions. The scattering is mostly beneficial when the light strikes the module surface at a perpendicular angle. The outcome of the optimization study was implemented in IMEC{\textquoteright}s energy yield simulation framework. This framework was used to estimate the energy gain of PV module with scattering front encapsulant when installed in Kuwait{\textquoteright}s desert. It was shown that an energy production gain of 1.8% can be expected in case of a glass-glass module with flat front surface and ARC coating.",

keywords = "Optical scattering, PV energy yield modelling, Ray-tracing",

author = "H. Goverde and I. Horvath and P. Manganiello and B. Aldalali and F. Duerinckx and {van der Heide}, A. and E. Voroshazi and J. Szlufcik",

year = "2020",

doi = "10.1007/978-3-030-56970-9_6",

language = "English",

isbn = "9783030569693",

series = "Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering",

publisher = "Springer",

pages = "65--74",

editor = "Walter Zamboni and Giovanni Petrone",

booktitle = "ELECTRIMACS 2019 - Selected Papers - Volume 2",

note = "13th International Conference of the IMACS TC1 Committee, ELECTRIMACS 2019 ; Conference date: 21-05-2019 Through 23-05-2019",

}

Goverde, H, Horvath, I, Manganiello, P, Aldalali, B, Duerinckx, F, van der Heide, A, Voroshazi, E & Szlufcik, J 2020, Optimizing scattering behaviour of encapsulant for maximum PV energy yield. in W Zamboni & G Petrone (eds), ELECTRIMACS 2019 - Selected Papers - Volume 2. Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering, vol. 697, Springer, pp. 65-74, 13th International Conference of the IMACS TC1 Committee, ELECTRIMACS 2019, Salerno, Italy, 21/05/19. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-56970-9_6

Optimizing scattering behaviour of encapsulant for maximum PV energy yield. / Goverde, H.; Horvath, I.; Manganiello, P. et al.
ELECTRIMACS 2019 - Selected Papers - Volume 2. ed. / Walter Zamboni; Giovanni Petrone. Springer, 2020. p. 65-74 (Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering; Vol. 697).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference proceedings/Edited volume › Conference contribution › Scientific › peer-review

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AU - van der Heide, A.

AU - Voroshazi, E.

AU - Szlufcik, J.

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AB - Nowadays, material manufacturers are engineering module materials to optimize the energy production of the PV modules. One of the elements which can be influenced is the optical scattering of a material. In this study, we quantified the effect of a scattering front encapsulant on the energy production of PV modules. First, a wavelength-dependent scattering model was developed in the ray-tracing software PVlighthouse. This model was used to find the optimal scattering conditions, looking at the photo-generated current for a glass-glass PV module with flat front surface. It was shown that a gain of +0.63 mA/cm2 can be obtained for optimal scattering conditions. The scattering is mostly beneficial when the light strikes the module surface at a perpendicular angle. The outcome of the optimization study was implemented in IMEC’s energy yield simulation framework. This framework was used to estimate the energy gain of PV module with scattering front encapsulant when installed in Kuwait’s desert. It was shown that an energy production gain of 1.8% can be expected in case of a glass-glass module with flat front surface and ARC coating.

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BT - ELECTRIMACS 2019 - Selected Papers - Volume 2

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