Simulation Suggests Origin of Potential Induced Degradation of Solar Cell

Solar cells are well known as devices for sustainable electric energy generation. Nowadays the potential induced degradation has been brought up as an obstacle problem for practical use. In order to determine the cause of this kind of degradation, numerical simulation by a finite difference time domain method has been performed for computational electromagnetics in the case that the thunder attacks the solar modules. The results show that the dielectric breakdown in the glass covered over the solar cells triggered by the thunderstroke is critical. So it is helpful to protect the dielectric breakdown in the glass from the thunderstroke.