The Life Distribution of Commercial Concentrator III-V Triple-Junction Solar Cells in View of Inverse Power law and Arrhenius Life

Abstract

Renewable energy is one of the essential clean power sources, especially solar energy. The world is shifting toward increasing production from clean energy with a vast transformation level of integrating solar energy with grid production. This comprehensive transformation leads the researchers to focus more on solar reliability, which is considered one of the most challenging elements of solar power to increase production with the highest quality. Different factors affect the PV panel's estimated lifetime before the failure accrues, such as temperature stress, voltage, irradiation, and many other factors. PV panel output power will be a certain percentage of its original Standard Test Condition (STC), rated DC power, depending on its working hours, or we can say PV panel age. The consumer must trust and be confident in such PV manufacturers' companies to ensure the system will remain stable and reliable for a long time before the decision is taken, which is what they call a warranty. PV panels are still being replaced and repaired before the expiration of their warranty period. Studying the PV model's reliability will limit the PV panel's failure and ensure a long lifetime for the system to operate and produce efficient and reliable power. The accelerated lifetime ALT for the PV will simulate the failure under different stressor conditions with the minimum period. This research will use the Inverse power Law module based on statistical analysis with different distributions such as Weibull and Lognormal. Previous studies were done in the same field using the Arrhenius model. Authors usually used Arrhenius as the best life-stress relationship; others favored the inverse power law in many accelerated life-testing experiments even when the stress is thermal. The same procedures and analysis were done in this research by testing the result of ALT space solar cells to support this theory; more details are described in the below report sections.