Photovoltaic modules in desert areas benefit from high irradiation levels but suffer from harsh environmental stress factors, which influence the Levelized Cost of Electricity by decreasing the lifetime and performance and increasing the maintenance costs. Using optimized half-cell module designs mounted in the most efficient orientation according to the plant requirements can lead to reduced production costs, increased energy yield and longer service lives for PV modules in desert areas. In this work, we review the technical advantages of half-cell modules in desert regions and discuss the potential gains in levelized costs of electricity due to reduced material consumption, a higher cell-to-module power ratio, lower module temperatures, better yields, reduced cleaning cycles and finally, reduced fatigue in interconnection due to thermal cycling. We show that half-cell modules are the most cost-effective option for desert areas and are expected to have a relevant lower Levelized Cost of Electricity.

Modules with partial cells show better performance compared to full-cell modules due to lower electrical losses and increased optical gains. In this paper, we compare photovoltaic (PV) modules made of full, half, and third cells with tab widths of 0.8 and 1.5 mm under moderate and desert conditions, respectively. Initially, a statistical assessment of indoor characterization results of the modules is presented. The efficiency and fill factor of the modules are evaluated to analyze the electrical and optical losses of the modules. It is shown that the modules with partial cells and narrower tab widths show higher efficiencies and implying cell-to-module power ratios over 100%. The modules are characterized under different intensity levels to assess their performance under various illumination conditions. Based on the measured data, the energy yields in Morocco and Germany representing desert and moderate climates, respectively, are calculated. It is demonstrated that increased energy yield can be achieved by selecting appropriate module design and optimized tab width for each climate. The optimized half-cell modules show a yield gain of 3.77% and 4.51% compared to full-cell modules in moderate and desert climates, respectively. These values rise to 4.72% and 5.68% by moving to third-cell modules, respectively.