Publications by Andrew Wayne Fairbrother

Performance and degradation in silicon PV systems under outdoor conditions in relation to reliability aspects of silicon PV modules - Summary of results of COST Action PEARL PV

This paper presents the main results of COST Action PEARL PV, aiming at finding connections between the observed performance of monitored PV systems and degradation causes and failure modes according to literature with a focus on the most dominant technolo ...

IEEE2023

Towards a quantification of thermal and thermomechanical stress for modules in building-integrated photovoltaics configurations

Christophe Ballif, Hugo James André Quest, Andrew Wayne Fairbrother

Due to reduced rear-side ventilation, building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) are prone to higher operating temperatures, which may impact their long-term performance and reliability. However, often overlooked in the study of thermomechanical stress in PV ...

Wiley2023

The effect of storage conditions on the long-term stability of ethylene-vinyl-acetate (EVA) copolymer used in glass/glass modules

Christophe Ballif, Eleonora Annigoni, Alessandro Francesco Aldo Virtuani, Luca Gnocchi, Andrew Wayne Fairbrother

We evaluate the effect of storage conditions of uncured encapsulant rolls and the potential consequences on photovoltaic (PV) module performance. We show the impact of residual water trapped inside laminated double glass PV modules after lamination and dur ...

ELSEVIER2023

Operating Temperatures and Diurnal Temperature Variations of Modules Installed in Open-Rack and Typical BIPV Configurations

Christophe Ballif, Alessandro Francesco Aldo Virtuani, Andrew Wayne Fairbrother

Because of building skin integration with restricted or reduced rear-side ventilation, elevated operating temperatures are expected in building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) modules and systems, which may impact their long performance and reliability. Th ...

IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC2022

Corrosion testing of solar cells: Wear-out degradation behavior

Christophe Ballif, Alessandro Francesco Aldo Virtuani, Luca Gnocchi, Andrew Wayne Fairbrother

Corrosion is one of the main end-of-life degradation and failure modes in photovoltaic (PV) modules. However, it is a gradual process and can take many years to become a major risk factor because of the slow accumulation of water and acetic acid (from enca ...

ELSEVIER2022

Review of technology-specific degradation in c-Si, CdTe, CIGS, dye sensitised, organic and perovskite solar cells in photovoltaic modules: Understanding how reliability improvements in mature technologies can enhance emerging technologies

Andrew Wayne Fairbrother

A comprehensive understanding of failure modes of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules is key to extending their operational lifetime in the field. In this review, first, specific failure modes associated with mature PV technologies, such as crystalline silicon ...

WILEY2022

Long-Term Performance and Shade Detection in Building Integrated Photovoltaic Systems

Christophe Ballif, Alessandro Francesco Aldo Virtuani, Andrew Wayne Fairbrother

Building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) operate in a unique environment compared with field-mounted systems and may experience elevated temperatures and recurrent or persistent shading. These stresses are expected to accelerate degradation, but there are ...

WILEY-V C H VERLAG GMBH2021

Monitoring the Operating Temperatures of Modules in Open-Rack and Typical BIPV Configurations

Christophe Ballif, Alessandro Francesco Aldo Virtuani, Ebrar Özkalay, Andrew Wayne Fairbrother

Elevated operating temperatures are expected in BIPV systems due to restricted or reduced rear-side ventilation, which impacts their performance and reliability. This work reports operating temperatures and diurnal (day-night) temperature variations of the ...

IEEE2021

Cu-Sn-S system: Vibrational properties and coexistence of the Cu2SnS3, Cu3SnS4 and Cu4SnS4 compounds

Andrew Wayne Fairbrother

In the present study the transformation between Cu2SnS3, Cu3SnS4 and Cu4SnS4 compounds is analyzed by means of X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering spectroscopy. A detailed analysis of the X-ray diffractograms showed the dependence of formation of the in ...

PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD2020