Modelling of Aging Effects in Photovoltaic Solar Cells through Electroluminescence and Current-Voltage curves techniques

Rui Jorge Tomás Oliveira

Key information

Authors:

Rui Jorge Tomás Oliveira (Rui Jorge Tomás Oliveira)

Supervisors:

Ricardo Alexandre Marques Lameirinhas (Ricardo Alexandre Marques Lameirinhas); João Filipe Pereira Fernandes (João Filipe Pereira Fernandes)

Published in

December 4, 2025

Abstract

The increasing global energy demand and the transition to renewable sources make photovoltaic technology an essential solution. As photovoltaic cells play a key role in converting solar radiation into electricity, understanding their aging is crucial to improving performance and long-term durability. This thesis investigates the aging of photovoltaic cells, with emphasis on the influence of temperature on their degradation. Accelerated tests were conducted under controlled laboratory conditions, using low-cost electroluminescence techniques. The I-V curves were measured over time, providing data on the evolution of degradation processes, which were subsequently analyzed using the Arrhenius model to estimate the aging time under normal operating conditions. Results show that cell aging is accelerated by increased temperature. Degradation occurs faster under longer-wavelength spectra, associated with defects in the silicon crystalline network and degradation of the upper resin layer. The average degradation rate was 0.7\%/year under white illumination, consistent with the literature. Electroluminescence imaging and computer vision analysis indicate that degradation occurs primarily at the cell corners. This study advances the understanding of photovoltaic cell aging mechanisms, providing quantitative data on the durability and performance of small photovoltaic modules.