Abstract
Using a cover glass is indispensable for protecting solar cells in photovoltaic systems. Herein, the surface of the cover glass was modified by atmospheric pressure plasma to enhance the self-cleaning effect without degrading the transmittance. A lower surface energy was achieved by depositing fluorocarbon polymers, and a micro-nano multi-scale morphology was built on the cover glass within 50 s. These two properties led to an increase in the hydrophobicity, which enhanced the self-cleaning effect of the surface. The morphology of the surface also helped to improve the transparency by reducing reflections. Both the enhanced self-cleaning effect and the improved transparency induced by the atmospheric pressure plasma treatment were confirmed by analyzing the total conversion efficiency of a solar cell by outdoor field testing.
Highlights
Photovoltaic systems, generally known as solar cells, represent a promising method to supply sustainable energy without the undesirable production of carbon dioxide
The cover glass, which is the top layer of a solar cell, plays an important role in preventing both contamination and damage caused by a variety of sources including dust, acid rain, and hail.[1,2,3]
water contact angle (WCA) hysteresis defined as the difference between advancing and receding angle was decreased from 21.5◦ to 10◦ when R was 4 and 16, respectively
Summary
Photovoltaic systems, generally known as solar cells, represent a promising method to supply sustainable energy without the undesirable production of carbon dioxide. The cover glass, which is the top layer of a solar cell, plays an important role in preventing both contamination and damage caused by a variety of sources including dust, acid rain, and hail.[1,2,3] this indispensable cover glass can cause a conversion efficiency drop in the photovoltaic systems due to its limited transmittance.[4] cover glasses can be contaminated in various environments while protecting photovoltaic systems. Moth-eye patterns on the protective glass have been used to decrease the reflection of incident light and have demonstrated desirable hydrophobicity with improved performance in photovoltaic systems.[7,8]
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