Impact of Damp Heat and Ultraviolet Radiation on Common Solar Module Encapsulant Materials

PV technology is part of a burgeoning industry in renewable energy. Australia is a prime candidate for PV with high insolation levels. An investigation into the degradation of solar modules, of different construction, is important to understanding the prominent degradation pathways and the long term degradation properties of modules as they are exposed to the harsh Australian climate. Also, characterising the reliability of such materials will give an indication of module output in the future, leading to better output prediction. Although any prediction has challenges in being translated to actual field performance. In this paper, the impact of 2 significant degradation mechanisms (damp heat and UV) are detailed and profiled with respect to several common photovoltaic module materials. The degradation conditions were performed in accordance with IEC61215. Several manufacturers were considered and the extent of EVA browning, cell delamination, solar cell cracking and power loss were recorded. Of the materials tested, DH was found to impact the adhesion of the EVA-glass layer more than UV and changed the failure mechanism to the outer layer of backsheet. The optics of the samples were effected by moisture ingress generally lowering transmission.