Accelerated Exposure Tests of Encapsulated Si Solar Cells and Encapsulation Materials

Conference · Thu Oct 08 04:00:00 EDT 1998

OSTI ID:6578

Pern, F J; Glick, S H

We have conducted a series of accelerated exposure test (AET) studies for various crystalline-Si (c-Si) and amorphous-Si (a-Si) cell samples that were encapsulated with different superstrates, pottants, and substrates. Nonuniform browning patterns of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) pottants were observed for glass/EVA/glass-encapsulated c-Si cell samples under solar simulator exposures at elevated temperatures. The polymer/polymer-configured laminates with Tedlar or Tefzel did not discolor because of photobleaching reactions, but yellowed with polyester or nylon top films. Delamination was observed for the polyester/EVA layers on a-Si minimodules and for a polyolefin-based thermoplastic pottant at high temperatures. For all tested c-Si cell samples, irregular changes in the current-voltage parameters were observed that could not be accounted for simply by the transmittance changes of the superstrate/pottant layers. Silicone-type adhesives used under UV-transmitting polymer top films were observed to cause greater cell current/efficiency loss than EVA or polyethylene pottants.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy (US)
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-83CH10093
• OSTI ID: 6578
• Report Number(s): NREL/CP-520-25361; ON: DE00006578
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

14 SOLAR ENERGY
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
ADHESIVES
ENCAPSULATION
ETHYLENE
NYLON
POLYESTERS
POLYETHYLENES
POLYMERS
POLYVINYLS
SOLAR CELLS
SOLAR SIMULATORS
SUBSTRATES
TEDLAR
THERMOPLASTICS