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Title: Application of Electronics Packaging Fundamentals to Photovoltaic Interconnects and Packaging

Abstract

The energy capacity of photovoltaic (PV) installations worldwide has increased significantly in the last decade, increasing the demand for rigorous investigation of the physical phenomena causing degradation and failures in PV modules. As PV reliability science develops, established methods and approaches from longer-standing industries can inform and expedite PV reliability advances. This work demonstrates how thermomechanical solder bond fatigue models derived for electronics packaging applications can be applied to both standard and emerging PV interconnect designs. This expertise cannot be directly translated to PV however, as target PV module lifetimes are significantly longer than most electronics and the modules must withstand the natural climate wherever they are deployed. Verification of analytical reliability models is then an additional challenge, due to model size, test time, and climate variability. Furthermore, unconventional materials, such as low-temperature solders, are now being integrated into PV designs, for which appropriate material models must be selected and material parameters derived. In this paper, the current state of PV interconnect research is explored, with an emphasis on the experimental and simulation approaches and models being used for this work. Recent results for standard module architectures as well as emerging interconnect schemes are discussed.

Authors:
 [1];  [1]
  1. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office
OSTI Identifier:
1599569
Report Number(s):
NREL/CP-5K00-73310
DOE Contract Number:  
AC36-08GO28308
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: Presented at the ASME 2019 International Technical Conference and Exhibition on Packaging and Integration of Electronic and Photonic Microsystems, 7-9 October 2019, Anaheim, California
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
14 SOLAR ENERGY; photovoltaic module; solder; viscoplasticity; simulation; lifetime prediction; thermomechanical fatigue; accelerated testing

Citation Formats

Spinella, Laura, and Bosco, Nicholas S. Application of Electronics Packaging Fundamentals to Photovoltaic Interconnects and Packaging. United States: N. p., 2019. Web. doi:10.1115/IPACK2019-6520.
Spinella, Laura, & Bosco, Nicholas S. Application of Electronics Packaging Fundamentals to Photovoltaic Interconnects and Packaging. United States. https://doi.org/10.1115/IPACK2019-6520
Spinella, Laura, and Bosco, Nicholas S. 2019. "Application of Electronics Packaging Fundamentals to Photovoltaic Interconnects and Packaging". United States. https://doi.org/10.1115/IPACK2019-6520.
@article{osti_1599569,
title = {Application of Electronics Packaging Fundamentals to Photovoltaic Interconnects and Packaging},
author = {Spinella, Laura and Bosco, Nicholas S},
abstractNote = {The energy capacity of photovoltaic (PV) installations worldwide has increased significantly in the last decade, increasing the demand for rigorous investigation of the physical phenomena causing degradation and failures in PV modules. As PV reliability science develops, established methods and approaches from longer-standing industries can inform and expedite PV reliability advances. This work demonstrates how thermomechanical solder bond fatigue models derived for electronics packaging applications can be applied to both standard and emerging PV interconnect designs. This expertise cannot be directly translated to PV however, as target PV module lifetimes are significantly longer than most electronics and the modules must withstand the natural climate wherever they are deployed. Verification of analytical reliability models is then an additional challenge, due to model size, test time, and climate variability. Furthermore, unconventional materials, such as low-temperature solders, are now being integrated into PV designs, for which appropriate material models must be selected and material parameters derived. In this paper, the current state of PV interconnect research is explored, with an emphasis on the experimental and simulation approaches and models being used for this work. Recent results for standard module architectures as well as emerging interconnect schemes are discussed.},
doi = {10.1115/IPACK2019-6520},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1599569}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Dec 09 00:00:00 EST 2019},
month = {Mon Dec 09 00:00:00 EST 2019}
}

Conference:
Other availability
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