Acetic acid formed via the hydrolysis of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) as an encapsulant in photovoltaic (PV) modules causes a decrease in the conversion efficiency of such modules by grid corrosion. Here, a nondestructive and simple optical method for evaluating the condition of PV modules is proposed. This method uses a dual-wavelength pH-sensitive fluorescent dye to detect acetic acid in PV modules using a change in pH. The change in pH induced by the formation of acetic acid is detected by the change in the ratio of the fluorescent intensities of two peaks of the dye. A pH-sensitive fluorescent dye showed sensitivity for small amounts of acetic acid such as that produced from EVA. Furthermore, a membrane filter dyed with a pH-sensitive fluorescent dye was confirmed to detect acetic acid in aged EVA after a damp-heat test (85 °C, 85%) for 5000 h in PV modules.

A novel, nondestructive low-cost detection method for acetic acid distribution in a photovoltaic (PV) module during the damp heat (DH) test based on reflectance changes of tin film sensors is proposed and demonstrated. The sensor consists of a tin film evaporated on a glass substrate. Nineteen sensors and one gold film are laminated in the PV module, and the DH test was performed at 85°C and 85% relative humidity for 7203 h. The time range of measurement can be controlled between 2000 to 6000 h by adjusting the tin film initial thickness from 70 to 160 nm.

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An optical pH sensor that enables the non-destructive measurement of acetic acid and its distribution in a photovoltaic module during damp heat (DH) testing is reported. The sensor was fabricated by impregnating a solution of a pH-sensitive fluorescent dye into a fluororesin membrane filter, which was then dried. While conducting the DH test, fluorescence spectra from 20 pH sensors were periodically recorded and converted into pH values using a predetermined calibration curve. As a result, we succeeded in measuring changes in pH with a DH test time of up to 2000 h, and it was possible to obtain information on the pH distribution in the module. We also confirmed no change in pH in a module with a silicone encapsulant free from acetic acid, and revealed that the sensor that we developed does not respond to moisture and heat, but only to acetic acid.

We propose a dew condensation sensor which combines surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) to measure both refractive index change and mass loading caused by dew condensation simultaneously. In order to excite SPR and enhance water vapor sorption, a periodic silver nanostructure is fabricated on an AT-cut quartz crystal oscillator by template deposition. A self-assembled membrane (SAM) which consists of polystyrene spheres with the diameter of 202 nm was used as the template, and silver thin film with the thickness of 45 nm was deposited on the SAM by vacuum evaporation. Sensitivities of the sensor for detection of dew condensation were evaluated as the shifts of the SPR extinction peak wavelength and the resonant frequency of quartz crystal. The sensor is cooled down with the chilling rate of -0.5°C/min in the environment-controlled chamber with relative humidity and the temperature of 43.2%RH and 25.0°C, respectively. The proposed hybrid sensor was able to measure both the wavelength shifts of SPR and the additional mass caused by dew condensation simultaneously. Furthermore, the QCM response of the sensor achieved the sensitivity higher than the under detection limit (3 μg/cm 2 ) of conventional optical detection method such as chilled mirror surface dew point hygrometer.