Abstract
Based on the historical performance of silicones in both the construction and electronic industries, silicones are known for their superior performance in outdoor applications. This performance makes silicone materials well suited for solar photovoltaic (PV) modules in their application as a semiconductor device made for outdoor use. Silicone applications within the module include encapsulants, potting materials, and junction box and frame sealants. Dow Corning has developed a number of silicone-based products for use in PV module construction including the Dow Corning PV6100 Cell Encapsulant Series product line launched in 2009. To demonstrate the product line performance in real-world conditions, 15 kilowatts of mono-crystalline matrices were purchased from SunPower Corporation, San Jose, California, USA under the United States Department of Energy Solar America Initiative Program. The matrices were encapsulated on the Pilot Line in Dow Corning’s Solar Solutions Application Center in Freeland, MI USA. The silicone-encapsulated modules were installed as part of a 30 kW PV array at the Dow Corning corporate headquarters in Auburn, Michigan in 2009. The balance of the array was constructed using 15 kW of EVA modules purchased from SunPower Corporation, using identical cell and glass technology to compare efficiency and durability.
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