Quantification of the impact of irradiance, heat, humidity, and cyclic temperature on the aging of photovoltaic panels: a case study in Algeria

Abstract

Photovoltaic (PV) aging refers to the inevitable decline in the efficiency of solar modules over time due to various environmental factors. The main elements contributing to this degradation include irradiance, heat, humidity, and cyclic temperature. This paper details the accelerated factors (AFs) calculated from a series of developed equations established to quantify the deterioration mechanisms affecting PV panels. These equations are derived from several models: the Arrhenius model for temperature and irradiance, the Eyring and Peck models for humidity, and the Coffin-Manson model for cyclic temperature. After formulating equations that measure the combined effects of temperature, irradiance, humidity, and cyclic temperature, these equations were employed to analyze the deterioration of the PV panels installed at the Oued El Keberit solar plant in Souk Ahras, Algeria. The investigation revealed that humidity significantly affected the panels during the winter season. In spring, both humidity and irradiance become important factors. During the summer, temperature greatly influences degradation, while lower humidity levels do not significantly affect the panels. In autumn, humidity continues to be a critical factor. According to the obtained results, the highest AF values occur during the summer months, while the lowest AF values are observed in winter. As a result, the PV panels would deteriorate more noticeably during the winter season than in the summer time.