Suitability of Existing Photovoltaic Degradation Models for Agrivoltaic Systems

Agrivoltaic (AV) systems have the potential to meet the growing demand for sustainable societal development due to their ability to simultaneously enable food and energy production by using photovoltaics (PVs) on the same land used for agricultural activities. One of the major factors restricting the widespread implementation of AV systems is the lack of information regarding their operational lifetime, which is influenced by various degradation factors. This paper reviews the main degradation factors, modes, and physical mechanisms responsible for PV deterioration and performance inhibitors in conventional PV installations, including how these factors are evaluated, modeled, and potentially modified when placing PVs in the agricultural settings of typical AV systems. These degradation modes have been largely overlooked in modeling AV system designs for land use optimization. Therefore, further advancements are required to properly understand how agricultural environments play a role in modifying the thermal, irradiance, and hydrolysis degradation modes and whether such agricultural settings can lead to the onset of new degradation pathways. To enhance the adoption of AV systems in the agricultural sector, such insights are required to ensure that the maintenance costs are communicated to and well understood by the end users.