Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE
At Fraunhofer ISE we have various possibilities to analyze modules and materials in detail. We investigate for example:
- corrosion (snail trails, connector corrosion)
- mechanical effects (cell cracks, connector breaks) and
- electrical effects (hot spots) and their impact on the module performance loss.
We develop and operate devices to monitor degradation during operation or using accelerated aging tests (in-situ). For example it can be very helpful to know the humidity content within the module to interpret and understand aging mechanisms.
Our innovative and in-house developed multifunction analysis unit combines several analytical methods and allows substantial non-destructive examinations of full-size PV modules. By combining the results of different analytical methods, a failure or root cause can be detected and evaluated. Due to a high-precision 3-D control unit, each position in the module can be analyzed with most accurate repeatability before and after aging tests.