Dr. Jordan has been with NREL since 2009 as a Senior Reliability Engineer and Data Analyst. He earned a B.S. in Physics from the University of Heidelberg in Germany. He received a Masters and Ph.D. in Physics from Arizona State University in 1996 and 1999, respectively. His thesis topic focused on thin-film deposition of wide-bandgap semiconductors such as GaN, AlN, and SiC. Prior to joining NREL, he worked at Motorola for 8 years on the research, development, and commercialization of diverse technologies such as III-V electronics, high-k dielectrics, and carbon nanotube-based displays. In 2005, he became a Black Belt in Six Sigma, which is a data-driven methodology to improve processes, reduce defects, and improve quality. His research interest at NREL encompasses the long-term performance of photovoltaic modules and systems. How photovoltaic modules degrade over many years in the field can significantly impact overall project economics. Detailing the underlying mechanisms of degradation can improve future products and assist in lifetime testing. He holds two patents and has about a hundred publications.

Research Interests

Evaluation of Outdoor Module Performance Data

Analysis of module performance data to quantify module degradation rates.

Statistical analysis of reported degradation rates of PV modules.

Featured Work

Jordan D.C., Kurtz S.R., VanSant K., Newmiller J., “Compendium of photovoltaic degradation rates,” Prog. in PV 24(7), 2016, DOI: 10.1002/pip.2744

Jordan D.C., Silverman T.J., Wohlgemuth J.H., Kurtz S.R., VanSant K.T., “Photovoltaic failure and degradation modes,” Prog. in PV, 2017, DOI: 10.1002/pip.2866

Jordan D.C., Silverman T.J., Sekulic B., Kurtz S.R., “PV degradation curves: Non-linearities and failure modes,” Prog. in PV, 2016, DOI: 10.1002/pip.2835

Jordan D.C., Kurtz S.R., “Photovoltaic degradation rates – An analytical review,” Prog. in PV 21(1), 2013.

Jordan D.C., Wohlgemuth J.H., Kurtz S.R., “Technology and climate trends in PV module degradation,” European PVSEC, Frankfurt, Germany, 2012.

Jordan D.C., Kurtz S. R., “Field performance of 1.7 gigawatts of photovoltaic systems,” PVSC, Journal of Photovoltaics 5(1), 2015, DOI: 10.1109/JPHOTOV.2014.2361667

Jordan D.C., Sekulic B., Marion B., Kurtz S.R., “Performance and aging of a 20-year-old silicon PV system,” Journal of Photovoltaics 5(3), 2015, DOI: 10.1109/JPHOTOV.2015.2396360

Jordan D.C., Kurtz S.R., “Thin-film reliability trends toward improved stability,” 37th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialist Conference, Seattle, WA 2011.

Jordan D.C., Kurtz S.R., “Analytical improvements in PV degradation rate determination,” 35th IEEE PV Specialists Conference, Honolulu, HI, USA, 2010, 2688–2693.

Jordan D.C., Kurtz S.R., “The dark horse of evaluating long-term field performance - Data filtering,” Journal of Photovoltaics 4(1), 2014, DOI: 10.1109/JPHOTOV.2013.2282741