Photovoltaic-module encapsulation design and materials selection: Volume 1

Blends of photovoltaic‐grade ethylene–vinylacetate copolymers and low‐density ethylene–octene copolymers, their morphology and their thermal, mechanical, and rheological properties

“…This leads to high optical transparency, rubberlike mechanical behavior, and ease of film extrusion. Additionally, the material meets the demands for application as a solar cell encapsulant regarding electrical insulation or thermal stability . One of the drawbacks of EVA is its susceptibility to the potential induced degradation (PID) effect, where the performance of the solar cells decreases over time, and its tendency to chemical degradation which also deteriorates the performance of the solar modules .…”

“…The application of solar modules in areas such as building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) or deployment in extreme climates requires tailored materials suited to these applications. One of the critical components lifetime and reliability of solar modules is the polymeric encapsulant film in which the crystalline silicon solar cells are embedded between the front and back cover of the solar module . These films have a strong influence on long‐term module efficiency and mechanical behavior.…”

A comparative study of calorimetric methods to determine the crosslinking degree of the ethylene-Co-vinyl acetate polymer used as a photovoltaic encapsulant

“…As stated by Kempe and Cuddihy et al, the first PV encapsulant resins developed in the 1960s were essentially based on polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS). The photo‐thermal stability of silicones made them the ideal PV encapsulants.…”

Synthetic clay as an alternative backing material for passive temperature control of photovoltaic cells

“…Further enhancing the cooling of PV modules requires the reevaluation of their structural makeup. According to the Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) at NASA, the design criteria for backing and encapsulation material for PV cells are summed up as [12,13]: i) tough, to protect the module from physical abuse, ii) Weatherable, to help modules remain in service for many years, iii) White, to reflect sunlight from the back and lower operating temperature, iv) multilayered, for the best electrical properties, and v) high emissivity, for maximum radiative cooling. Many researchers have correlated the performance of PV modules with pertinent operating temperatures [14e21], and they have concluded that cell/module temperature is the key factor to their efficiency and power output, with adverse performance effects observed especially when solar energy is abundant [16e20].…”