Durability of polymeric encapsulation materials in a PMMA/glass concentrator photovoltaic system
Abstract
Abstract The durability of polymeric encapsulation materials was examined using outdoor exposure at the nominal geometric concentration of 500 suns. The results for 36‐month cumulative field deployment are presented for materials including: poly(ethylene‐co‐vinyl acetate), (EVA); polyvinyl butyral (PVB); ionomer; polyethylene/polyoctene copolymer (PO); thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU); poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS); poly(diphenyl dimethyl siloxane) (PDPDMS); and poly(phenyl‐methyl siloxane) (PPMS). Measurements of the field conditions including ambient temperature and ultraviolet (UV) dose were recorded at the test site during the experiment. Measurements for the experiment included optical transmittance (with subsequent analysis of solar‐weighted transmittance, UV cut‐off wavelength, and yellowness index), mass, visual photography, photoelastic imaging, and fluorescence spectroscopy. While the results to date for EVA are presented and discussed, examination here focuses more on the siloxane materials. A specimen recently observed to fail by thermal decomposition is discussed in terms of the implementation of the experiment as well as its fluorescence signature, which was observed to become more pronounced with age. Modulated thermogravimetry (allowing determination of the activation energy of thermal decomposition) was performed on a subset of the siloxanes to quantify the propensity for decomposition at elevated temperatures. Supplemental, Pt‐catalyst‐ and primer‐solutions as well as peroxide‐cured PDMS specimens were examined to assess the sourcemore »
- Authors:
-
- National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States). National Center for Photovoltaics
- Daido Steel Co., Nagoya (Japan)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1328997
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1401217
- Report Number(s):
- NREL/JA-5J00-66588
Journal ID: ISSN 1062-7995
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC36-08GO28308; DE‐AC36‐08GO28308
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Progress in Photovoltaics
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 24; Journal Issue: 11; Journal ID: ISSN 1062-7995
- Publisher:
- Wiley
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 14 SOLAR ENERGY; 36 MATERIALS SCIENCE; durability; polymer; reliability; UV degradation; weathering
Citation Formats
Miller, David C., Kempe, Michael D., Muller, Matthew T., Gray, Matthew H., Araki, Kenji, and Kurtz, Sarah R. Durability of polymeric encapsulation materials in a PMMA/glass concentrator photovoltaic system. United States: N. p., 2016.
Web. doi:10.1002/pip.2796.
Miller, David C., Kempe, Michael D., Muller, Matthew T., Gray, Matthew H., Araki, Kenji, & Kurtz, Sarah R. Durability of polymeric encapsulation materials in a PMMA/glass concentrator photovoltaic system. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/pip.2796
Miller, David C., Kempe, Michael D., Muller, Matthew T., Gray, Matthew H., Araki, Kenji, and Kurtz, Sarah R. Wed .
"Durability of polymeric encapsulation materials in a PMMA/glass concentrator photovoltaic system". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/pip.2796. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1328997.
@article{osti_1328997,
title = {Durability of polymeric encapsulation materials in a PMMA/glass concentrator photovoltaic system},
author = {Miller, David C. and Kempe, Michael D. and Muller, Matthew T. and Gray, Matthew H. and Araki, Kenji and Kurtz, Sarah R.},
abstractNote = {Abstract The durability of polymeric encapsulation materials was examined using outdoor exposure at the nominal geometric concentration of 500 suns. The results for 36‐month cumulative field deployment are presented for materials including: poly(ethylene‐co‐vinyl acetate), (EVA); polyvinyl butyral (PVB); ionomer; polyethylene/polyoctene copolymer (PO); thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU); poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS); poly(diphenyl dimethyl siloxane) (PDPDMS); and poly(phenyl‐methyl siloxane) (PPMS). Measurements of the field conditions including ambient temperature and ultraviolet (UV) dose were recorded at the test site during the experiment. Measurements for the experiment included optical transmittance (with subsequent analysis of solar‐weighted transmittance, UV cut‐off wavelength, and yellowness index), mass, visual photography, photoelastic imaging, and fluorescence spectroscopy. While the results to date for EVA are presented and discussed, examination here focuses more on the siloxane materials. A specimen recently observed to fail by thermal decomposition is discussed in terms of the implementation of the experiment as well as its fluorescence signature, which was observed to become more pronounced with age. Modulated thermogravimetry (allowing determination of the activation energy of thermal decomposition) was performed on a subset of the siloxanes to quantify the propensity for decomposition at elevated temperatures. Supplemental, Pt‐catalyst‐ and primer‐solutions as well as peroxide‐cured PDMS specimens were examined to assess the source of the luminescence. The results of the study including the change in optical transmittance, observed failure modes, and subsequent analyses of the failure modes are described in the conclusions. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.},
doi = {10.1002/pip.2796},
journal = {Progress in Photovoltaics},
number = 11,
volume = 24,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jul 13 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Wed Jul 13 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}
Web of Science
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Works referencing / citing this record:
Degradation in photovoltaic encapsulant transmittance: Results of the first PVQAT TG5 artificial weathering study
journal, January 2019
- Miller, David C.; Bokria, Jayesh G.; Burns, David M.
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