In this paper, a methodology is presented for estimating the lifetime of a photovoltaic (PV) module. Designers guarantee an acceptable level of power (80% of the initial power) up to 25 yr for solar panels without having sufficient feedback to validate this lifetime. Accelerated life testing (ALT) can be carried out in order to determine the lifetime of the equipment. Severe conditions are used to accelerate the ageing of components and the reliability is then deduced in normal conditions, which are considered to be stochastic rather than constant. Environmental conditions at normal operations are simulated using IEC 61725 standard and meteorological data. The mean lifetime of a crystalline-silicon photovoltaic module that meets the minimum power requirement is estimated. The main results show the influence of lifetime distribution and Peck model parameters on the estimation of the lifetime of a photovoltaic module.

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Abstract. There are a great many photovoltaic (PV) modules installed around the world. Despite this, not enough is known about the reliability of these modules. Their electrical power output decreases with time mainly as a result of the effects of corrosion, encapsulation discoloration, and solder bond failure. The failure of a PV module is defined as the point where the electrical power degradation reaches a given threshold value. Accelerated life tests (ALTs) are commonly used to assess the reliability of a PV module. However, ALTs provide limited data on the failure of a module and these tests are expensive to carry out. One possible solution is to conduct accel-erated degradation tests. The Wiener process in conjunction with the accelerated failure time model makes it possible to carry out numerous simulations and thus to determine the failure time distribution based on the aforementioned threshold value. By this means, the failure time distribution and the lifetime (mean and uncertainty) can be evaluated. © 2013 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) [DOI: 10.1117/1.JPE.3.033099

This article presents a method developed for carrying out the energy production estimation considering the energy losses in different components of a photovoltaic (PV) system and its downtime effect. The studied system is a grid-connected photovoltaic system including PV modules, wires, and inverter. PV systems are sensitive to environmental conditions (UV radiation, temperature, humidity) and all components are subjected to electrical losses. The proposed method allows obtaining the production of photovoltaic system and its availability during a specified period using meteorological data. The calculation of the production takes into account the downtime periods when no energy is delivered in the grid during this period. The time-to-failure and the time-to-repair of photovoltaic system are considered following a Weibull distribution. This method permits to have a best estimation of the production throughout the lifetime of the photovoltaic system.

Abstract. In the building domain, components or equipment are often subjected to severe environmental conditions. In order to predict the reliability and the life-time of such equipment, accelerated life testing can be carried out. Severe conditions are applied to accelerate the ageing of the components and the reliability at nominal conditions is then deduced considering that these nominal conditions are not constant but stochastic. In this paper, the accelerated life testing of photovoltaic modules is carried out at severe module temperature levels. The module power losses are monitored and the limit state is determined when a threshold power is reached. The stochastic data and the reliability are simulated during a period of twenty years. Finally, the life time of the component is evaluated.