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Effect of Backsheet Properties on PV Encapsulant Degradation during Combined Accelerated Aging Tests

Author

Listed:
  • Djamel Eddine Mansour

    (Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, 79110 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
    EPFL VPRHO DSPS COSEC-ENAC, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland)

  • Chiara Barretta

    (Polymer Competence Center Leoben GmbH, AT-8700 Leoben, Austria)

  • Luciana Pitta Bauermann

    (Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, 79110 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany)

  • Gernot Oreski

    (Polymer Competence Center Leoben GmbH, AT-8700 Leoben, Austria)

  • Andreas Schueler

    (EPFL VPRHO DSPS COSEC-ENAC, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland)

  • Daniel Philipp

    (Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, 79110 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany)

  • Paul Gebhardt

    (Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, 79110 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany)

Abstract

Long-term photovoltaic (PV) module reliability is highly determined by the durability of the polymeric components (backsheet and encapsulation materials). This paper presents the result of experiments on encapsulant degradation influenced by the backsheet permeation properties. Towards this goal, one type of ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA) was aged in glass/EVA/backsheet laminates in accelerated aging tests (up to 4000 h for Damp-Heat (DH) and up to 480 kWh/m 2 for UV and UV-DH combined). The samples contained three backsheets with different permeation properties to examine their impact on EVA degradation. Thermal and chemical characterization shows that the EVA degradation is stronger with the glass–EVA–polyamide (PA)-based backsheet than with the polyethylene terephthalate (PET)-based backsheets. The higher oxygen transmission rate (OTR) of the PA-based backsheet may increase photo-oxidation and aggravating the degradation of EVA in the laminates. Furthermore, FTIR results were used to demonstrate the effect of damp heat exposure on the EVA interfaces, showing an accelerated degradation at the glass–EVA interface. The comparison of accelerated aging stress factors reveals that EVA suffers the strongest chemical and optical degradation when high UV, high temperature and high relative humidity are combined simultaneously.

Suggested Citation

  • Djamel Eddine Mansour & Chiara Barretta & Luciana Pitta Bauermann & Gernot Oreski & Andreas Schueler & Daniel Philipp & Paul Gebhardt, 2020. "Effect of Backsheet Properties on PV Encapsulant Degradation during Combined Accelerated Aging Tests," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-14, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:12:p:5208-:d:376585
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