PV Module Performance Measurements - Statistical Analysis of Technological Trends

Determining the performance of photovoltaic (PV) modules accurately and in different operational states is key for evaluating their value and basic requirements for yield assessments and bankability considerations. In this publication, we share our experience from the last 10 years of performance measurements and module calibrations at the CalLab PV Modules of Fraunhofer ISE. Our dataset of STC results comprises 61060 modules from 739 different manufacturers (3548 different module types) from North America, Europe, and Asia. We thereby present a valuable reference for various stakeholders in the PV community summarizing changes in performance and efficiency over time. Furthermore, we present and discuss technology trends, including the effect of module design aspects such as number of ribbons, wafer size, number of cells and cell technology on the performance at standard conditions, module parameters such as temperature coefficient and low light performance.