Evaluation of efficiency and degradation of mono- and polycrystalline PV modules under outdoor conditions

This paper presents the experimental results carried out over a period of years of several photovoltaic modules of two basic types, e.g. monocrystalline and polycrystalline, obtained from various sources. These panels were exposed outdoors under the climatic conditions of Bahrain. Our observations show that two of the “first generation” monocrystalline panels completely failed and severe corrosion developed. The rest of the panels show a degradation in efficiency, however polycrystalline modules show a greater drop in output.