During the course of solar module encapsulation, the output power of crystalline silicon solar module is less than the sum of the maximum output power of the constituents because of power loss. So it is very important to investigate the power loss caused by encapsulation materials and module production process. In this paper, the power loss of crystalline silicon solar module is investigated by experiments systematically for the first time. It is found that the power loss is mainly caused by the resistance of ribbon and mismatch of solar cells; the total power loss is as high as 3.93% for solar module composed of 72 cells (125 mm × 125 mm) connected in series. Analyzing and reducing the power losses are beneficial to optimizing encapsulation process for the solar module. The results presented in this study give out a direction to decreasing power loss and optimizing encapsulation process of crystalline silicon solar module.

No abstract

Purpose Tabbing and stringing are the critical process for crystalline silicon solar module production. Because of the mismatch of the thermal expansion coefficients between silicon and metal, phenomenon of cell bowing, microcracks formation or cell breakage emerge during the soldering process. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of soldering on crystalline silicon solar cells and module, and reveal soldering law so as to decrease the breakage rates and improve reliability for crystalline silicon solar module. Design/methodology/approach A microscopic model of the soldering process is developed by the study of the crystalline silicon solar cell soldering process in this work. And the defects caused by soldering were analyzed systematically. Findings The defects caused by soldering are analyzed systematically. The optimal soldering conditions are derived for the crystalline silicon solar module. Originality/value The quality criterion of soldering for crystalline silicon solar module is built for the first time. The optimal soldering conditions are derived for the crystalline silicon solar module. This study provides insights into solder interconnection reliability in the photovoltaic (PV) industry.

No abstract

No abstract