Due to their composition and nature, n-type cells have a higher tolerance to impurities and fewer defects, thus offering higher performance and overall efficiency. Let's look at these advantages one by one, and as you will see, they are scarce!
We are witnessing a historic milestone in energy generation; the sector is rapidly transforming. The 2024 report from the Ember Expert Group highlights the significant shift towards renewables in Europe, with solar and wind leading the way. Countries such as Spain, Greece, Italy, France, and Bulgaria are at the forefront of this transformation, demonstrating that the energy transition is well underway.
We are back with our series Enemies of Photovoltaics, this time to tell you about LeTID, a fairly new phenomenon and therefore less investigated compared to other defects such as PID or LID. LeTID (Light and Elevated Temperature Induced Degradation) describes the loss of performance of photovoltaic modules under certain circumstances.
N-Type technology has been around for many years. In fact, it was the first functional solar cell ever created. Therefore, they should have dominated the market, but their development was overshadowed by the P-Type cells. The latter were rapidly implemented, largely because they were the technology used at the beginning of the space race in the 20th century. But times are changing, and yesterday's most advanced technologies are not necessarily at the forefront today.
In this installment we will go deeper into a serious defect that can be found in photovoltaic modules due to poor quality materials and/or handling: delamination.
The present and future hold great challenges for photovoltaic technology in terms of material quality, installation, operation and, finally, decommissioning. Photovoltaic technology is mature, but only if the industry responds adequately to the demands for secure and reliable supply can it establish itself as a major source of large-scale electricity.
