Investigating the impact of humidity on potential-induced degradation (PID) in photovoltaic modules with ash accumulation

Abstract

A laboratory test platform was established to explore the impact of humidity on potential-induced degradation (PID) under ash-covered photovoltaic modules. The mechanism behind changes in leakage current and output power was thoroughly investigated. The results indicate that the combination of dust accumulation on the module surface and humidity significantly elevates the leakage current. Specifically, the leakage current experiences an exponential increase when humidity exceeds 45% (CRH). By utilizing Peck’s equation, the correlation coefficient λ between the power degradation of dust-covered and clean modules was derived. This coefficient can accurately forecast the power loss of dust-covered modules, offering valuable insights for the maintenance of PV power stations.