Repository logo

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
  1. Home
  2. Academic and Research Output
  3. EPFL thesis
  4. Reliability and Long-term Performance of Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) Modules
 
doctoral thesis

Reliability and Long-term Performance of Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) Modules

Özkalay, Ebrar  
2024

Solar photovoltaics (PV) is one of the most competitive renewable energy technologies in order to meet the increasing global energy demand and decrease CO2 emissions by competing effectively with fossil fuels. One of the important applications of PV energy is building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) systems, which transforms building envelopes into power plants while keeping the building properties such as thermal isolation, water-tightness, shading etc. A massive deployment of PV in buildings - where about one third of primary energy consumption takes place in developed countries - needs to be favored in order to avoid conflicts of PV with other land use (e.g. agriculture, forestry). This is particularly significant in countries like Switzerland. PV manufacturers provide 25 years of warranty for the PV modules. However, there is a trend going towards 30-35+ years of lifetime for properly produced modules. BIPV modules could experience somehow harsher operating conditions compared to field deployed PV modules. Nevertheless, BIPV products are expected to have long service lifetimes since other building components generally have lifetimes targeting 40 years. By improving the reliability and durability of BIPV products, thus its lifetime, BIPV could be more appealing and cost-effective for building owners, installers and architects. The main aim in this PhD work is to assess and improve the reliability and long-term performance of BIPV modules and systems. This will be done by:

  1. Analyzing long-term performance data from a statistically representative number of BIPV systems and mock-up structures in order to assess the impact of specific operating conditions on degradation rates of BIPV modules
  2. Performing site surveys on selected BIPV plants to understand the degradation mechanisms related to operating condition
  3. Designing accelerated aging tests in order to address specific failure modes that BIPV modules experience
  • Files
  • Details
  • Metrics
Type
doctoral thesis
DOI
10.5075/epfl-thesis-10585
Author(s)
Özkalay, Ebrar  
Advisors
Ballif, Christophe  
•
Virtuani, Alessandro Francesco Aldo  
Jury

Dr Mathieu Hursin (président) ; Prof. Christophe Ballif, Dr Alessandro Francesco Aldo Virtuani (directeurs) ; Dr Sergi Aguacil Moreno, Dr Werner Herrmann, Dr Gabriele Eder (rapporteurs)

Date Issued

2024

Publisher

EPFL

Publisher place

Lausanne

Public defense year

2024-05-31

Thesis number

10585

Total of pages

201

Subjects

solar module

•

building integrated photovoltaic

•

reliability

•

long-term performance

•

thermal and thermomechanical stress

•

performance loss rate (PLR)

•

accelerated thermal cycling test

•

outdoor accelerated ageing test

•

partial shading

•

hot-spot endurance test

EPFL units
PV-LAB  
Faculty
STI  
School
IMT  
Doctoral School
EDEY  
Available on Infoscience
May 22, 2024
Use this identifier to reference this record
https://infoscience.epfl.ch/handle/20.500.14299/208052
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
  • Contact
  • infoscience@epfl.ch

  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Follow us on LinkedIn
  • Follow us on X
  • Follow us on Youtube
AccessibilityLegal noticePrivacy policyCookie settingsEnd User AgreementGet helpFeedback

Infoscience is a service managed and provided by the Library and IT Services of EPFL. © EPFL, tous droits réservés