Field retrieved photovoltaic backsheet survey from diverse climate zones: Analysis of degradation patterns and phenomena

Wieser, Raymond J.; Wang, Yu; Fairbrother, Andrew; Napoli, Sophie; Hauser, Adam W.; Julien, Scott; Gu, Xiaohong; O‘Brien, Gregory S.; Wan, Kai-Tak; Ji, Liang; Kempe, Michael D.; Boyce, Kenneth P.; Bruckman, Laura S.

doi:10.1016/j.solener.2023.04.061

Title: Field retrieved photovoltaic backsheet survey from diverse climate zones: Analysis of degradation patterns and phenomena

Journal Article · Wed May 17 00:00:00 EDT 2023 · Solar Energy

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.solener.2023.04.061· OSTI ID:1984219

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Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, OH (United States)
National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD (United States)
Arkema, Inc., King of Prussia, PA (United States)
Northeastern Univ., Boston, MA (United States)
Underwriter’s Laboratories Inc., Northbrook, IL (United States)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Understanding the impact of climate stressors on photovoltaic (PV) backsheet degradation in real-use conditions is critical to improve the accelerated testing exposures, extend the backsheet lifetime, and increase the confidence in PV reliability. Here, in this work, a total of 33 PV module backsheets were retrieved from six climatic zones worldwide with 2 - 28 years of exposure. These modules included five types of backsheet air-side materials (or outer layer): poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF), poly(tetrafluoroethylene-co-hexafluoropropylene-co-vinylidene fluoride) (THV), poly(vinyl fluoride) (PVF), poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), and polyamide (PA). Attenuated total reflection Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) was used to identify air-side materials. The degradation induced color change, gloss loss, and chemical material changes analyzed using optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), colorimetry (yellowness index (YI)), and gloss measurements. PVDF, THV, and PVF air-side layer backsheets, in particular PVF, had minimal degradation in the air-side layer appearance and chemical structures after exposure in different climatic zones. The PET air-side backsheets exhibited obvious color increase (22.55 YI units after about 9 years exposure) and the PA/PA/PA backsheets showed large gloss loss (up to 76.4 %) relative to the unexposed backsheets. Severe cracks between cells that penetrated through the entire thickness of backsheets are observed on PA/PA/PA backsheets after 4-6 years of exposure in 6 climatic zones. The current indoor exposure standards were not sufficient to identify this degradation type. However, fluoropolymer based PV backsheets showed lower levels of degradation predictors and increased climatic resistance. Specific samples (PVF) showed little change from baseline after 28 years of outdoor exposure.

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Research Organization:: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Renewable Power Office. Solar Energy Technologies Office

Grant/Contract Number:: AC36-08GO28308; EE0007143; 1 UL1 RR024989; DE-EE0007143

OSTI ID:: 1984219

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1974474

Report Number(s):: NREL/JA-5K00-83714; MainId:84487; UUID:240edb8a-d7d3-400c-81bb-15509909397d; MainAdminID:69702

Journal Information:: Solar Energy, Vol. 259; ISSN 0038-092X

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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