Development of assessment methods for photovoltaic module enhancing techniques using the lifespan parameter.

Area of Science:

• Renewable Energy Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Photovoltaic (PV) module enhancers aim to improve energy generation efficiency.
• Current assessment methods for PV enhancers lack lifespan considerations.
• Existing methods focus on energy, cost, volume, area, and weight.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop enhanced assessment methods for PV enhancers that incorporate the lifespan parameter.
• To address the limitations of existing PV enhancer performance evaluation techniques.
• To provide a more comprehensive performance analysis for PV enhancers.

Main Methods:

• Proposing three novel assessment methods: yield × lifespan/cost/area, yield × lifespan/cost/volume, and yield × lifespan/cost/weight.
• Investigating the influential parameters and limitations of these enhanced methods.
• Comparing different PV enhancer models using the proposed lifespan-inclusive metrics.

Main Results:

• The proposed methods effectively assess and classify PV enhancer performance when lifespan is considered.
• PV enhancers with higher values in the enhanced metrics demonstrate optimum performance.
• The study identifies key factors influencing the enhanced assessment outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Incorporating lifespan into assessment methods provides a more accurate evaluation of PV enhancer performance.
• The developed methods offer a practical tool for manufacturers and designers of PV enhancers.
• These enhanced approaches facilitate informed decision-making for optimizing PV technology.