Influence of shunt resistance on the performance of an illuminated string of solar cells: Theory, simulation, and experimental analysis

This paper presents an extensive study of how a solar cell with low shunt resistance can affect the performance and reliability of a solar panel. The analysis is based on both simulations and experimental tests and provides the following results: 1) the cell with low shunt resistance significantly reduces the efficiency of a panel; 2) this is particularly pronounced if the shunted cell is partially shaded: in this case, the shunt resistance of the cell acts as a load for the entire panel; 3) in these conditions, the shunted cell can significantly degrade: in fact, the small-size shunt paths are crossed by a high current density, generated by the other cells in the panel, thus reaching high temperature levels. Stress tests have been also carried out to fully characterize the degradation process and its dynamics and to understand the physical origin of the failure of shunted cells.