ABSTRACT
The TISO 10 kWp m-Si PV plant was set up on 13th May 1982. It was the first plant in Europe to be connected to the electricity grid. It consists of 252 ASI 16-2300 Arco-Solar m-Si modules and is sited on the flat roof of the LEEE-TISO. At first, the aim of the piant was to study possible technical and safety problems when connecting a plant to a public grid, whilst now, the aim is the study of mechanical and electrical degradation as well as that of the lifespan of PV modules. The detailed observations of the various PV components and, above all, of the modules supply important information on the critical spots of the PV plants. Observation of the life cycle of the modules makes it possible in particular to verify reliability and working life predictions that are also used for economic evaluation. The initial electrical performance of the plant was measured in January 1983, and system operation has been monitored continuously. Furthermore, indoor measurements have been performed periodically at ESTI on a reference batch of modules. This combination of systematic monitoring and laboratory measurements provide a unique opportunity to study the system at the end of its 20-year design life. More recently, particular emphasis has been placed on the reliability of the modules: at present a special study is being performed to correlate field reliability with accelerated lifetime tests in order to assess PV module reliability.
