Build solar-energy systems to last — save billions

Abstract

olar energy is being adopted the world over. Prices have plunged 100-fold since 1980. By 2023, the installed capacity of photovoltaics globally is expected to surpass 1 terawatt -30-100 TW will be required by 2050. Yet colliding trends mean that many of the technologies being installed today might not last until then if quality is not assured.To displace fossil fuels, solar energy needs to be dependable. Photovoltaic technologies must function as well in the steamy tropics as at the icy poles -working through storms, hail, heatwaves and snow. Until now, solar energy has been very reliable. Most modules have warranties that last 25-35 years (see 'Solar trends'), and less than 1% of those in the United States fail within the first 5 years 1 . Intact solar panels were crucial, for example, in helping Only solar panels remain intact after a bush fire burnt down a property in Torrington, Australia, in 2019.

The Path to Perovskite Commercialization: A Perspective from the United States Solar Energy Technologies Office

“…As an analogy, in 2010, a new backsheet material based on three co-extruded polymeric layers (“AAA”) was introduced as a low-cost replacement for conventional backsheets for silicon solar panels. Modules produced with this polyamide-based backsheet passed IEC accelerated stress tests but began cracking after 5–10 years in the field due to thermomechanical stresses not probed by accelerated tests done at that time . While silicon module manufacturers continue to explore alternative chemistries for durable co-extruded backsheets (e.g., replacing Nylon-12 with polypropylene), deployment of co-extruded backsheet technologies has been set back many years by this highly visible failure, with pioneering companies suffering considerable financial loss and bankruptcy.…”

“…Ensuring bankability and durability standards are met is a SETO priority. SETO has a long history of funding reliability research at NREL . Informed by the SETO-funded Durable Module Materials Consortium (DuraMAT) and sustained core research programs at SNL and NREL, SETO’s funding has helped maintain and develop reliability standards widely used by developers to validate the expected field lifetime of commercially available silicon and CdTe modules.…”

“…Modules produced with this polyamide-based backsheet passed IEC accelerated stress tests but began cracking after 5−10 years in the field due to thermomechanical stresses not probed by accelerated tests done at that time. 35 While silicon module manufacturers continue to explore alternative chemistries for durable co-extruded backsheets (e.g., replacing Nylon-12 with polypropylene), deployment of co-extruded backsheet technologies has been set back many years by this highly visible failure, with pioneering companies suffering considerable financial loss and bankruptcy. Such lessons highlight the urgent need to test new module technologies in representative outdoor field conditions.…”

Circular economy priorities for photovoltaics in the energy transition

“…Fifteen years has been proposed as the shortest PV module lifetime that is economically viable [42]. A 15-year module could also represent a module with planned obsolescence, poor quality [43], or site repowering, a practice where modules not yet at their technological EoL reach an economic EoL and are replaced with newer, more efficient modules [44]. Fifty-year PV modules are a target of the U.S. Department of Energy [45,46].…”

“…Lifetime extension, for PV modules and systems, could be accomplished in several ways, such as continued module reliability and resiliency improvements. Research and design priorities for lifetime extension include refined accelerated testing protocols, manufacturing quality control, predictive modeling to assess the impacts of design changes, continuing efficiency and material improvements, forward and backward compatibility of modules and components, and repair and refurbishment of system components [43]. Offsetting virgin material demands can be accomplished in ways other than recycling, including high-yield, high-efficiency, reliable systems (thereby reducing replacement and total deployment needs); remanufacturing of components; and circular material sourcing.…”