Analysis of the degradation of encapsulant materials used in photovoltaic modules exposed to different climates in China

Abstract

This work investigates the degradation mechanisms of polymeric encapsulants used in photovoltaic modules. Two groups of photovoltaic modules, which were exposed to two typical climates, namely a hot-humid climate and a hot-dry climate, were investigated. Both types of modules were produced by Siemens Solar in 1992 and exposed to outdoor sunlight and the climate for 18 years. The results show that, depending on the climate conditions, the polymeric encapsulant materials exhibit different degradation mechanisms regarding the optical, chemical and morphological properties. The aging of polymeric encapsulant materials is, on the one hand, related to the working environment (moisture, sunlight intensity, UV content and temperature) and, on the other hand, also the conditions are not uniform across the modules: moisture ingress is more important at the edge of the module, oxygen diffusion is more important between cells than at the center of a cell, the module temperature is not uniform.