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Abstract-To test reproducibility of a technical specification under development for potential-induced degradation (PID) and polarization, three crystalline silicon module types were distributed in five replicas each to five laboratories. Stress tests were performed in environmental chambers at 60°C, 85% relative humidity, 96 h, and with module nameplate system voltage applied. Results from the modules tested indicate that the test protocol can discern susceptibility to PID according to the pass/fail criteria with acceptable consistency from lab to lab; however, areas for improvement are indicated to achieve better uniformity in temperature and humidity on the module surfaces. In the analysis of variance of the results, 6% of the variance was attributed to laboratory influence, 34% to module design, and 60% to variability in test results within a given design. Testing with the additional factor of illumination with ultraviolet light slowed or arrested the degradation. Testing at 25°C with aluminum foil as the module ground was also examined for comparison. The foil, as tested, did not itself achieve consistent contact to ground at all surfaces; but methods to ensure more consistent grounding were found and proposed. The rates of degradation in each test are compared and details affecting the rates are discussed.

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In recent investigations using various analysis methods it has been shown that mechanical or thermal loading of PV modules leads to mechanical stress in the module parts and especially in the encapsulated solar cells. Cracks in crystalline solar cells are a characteristic defect that is caused by mechanical stress. They can lead to efficiency losses and lifetime reduction of the modules. This paper presents two experiments for systematic investigation of crack initiation and crack growth under thermal and mechanical loading using electroluminescence. For this purpose PV modules and laminated test specimens on smaller scales were produced including different cell types and module layouts. They were exposed to thermal cycling and to mechanical loading derived from the international standard IEC 61215. Cracks were observed mainly at the beginning and the end of the busbars and along the busbars. The cracks were analyzed and evaluated statistically. The experimental results are compared to results from numerical simulations to understand the reasons for the crack initiation and the observed crack growth and to allow module design optimization to reduce the mechanical stress

This paper is proposed to enhance the mechanical simulation model for crystalline solar modules by implementing the viscoelastic behaviour of the encapsulation material ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA). The material is characterized by thermo-mechanical analysis (TMA) experiments. Utilizing time-temperature superposition techniques a master-curve is constructed and the coefficients for the Williams-Landel-Ferry (WLF)-function are determined. This experimental data is transfered into a numerical representation and validated with creep bending tests of glass-polymer-glass-laminates. In the final step the viscoelastic model is used for calculating the cell displacement during the lamination process, followed by thermal cycling. The results for thermal cycling are compared with an optical cell-displacement measurement within a photovoltaic (PV) module [1]

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The market for biogenic and synthetic alternatives to leather is increasing aiming to replace animal-based materials with vegan alternatives. In parallel, bio-based raw materials should be used instead of fossil-based synthetic raw materials. In this study, a shoe upper leather and an artificial leather, and nine alternative materials (Desserto®, Kombucha, Pinatex®, Noani®, Appleskin®, Vegea®, SnapPap®, Teak Leaf®, and Muskin®) were investigated. We aimed to compare the structure and technical performance of the materials, which allows an estimation of possible application areas. Structure and composition were characterized by microscopy and FTIR spectroscopy, the surface properties, mechanical performance, water vapor permeability, and water absorption by standardized physical tests. None of the leather alternatives showed the universal performance of leather. Nevertheless, some materials achieved high values in selected properties. It is speculated that the grown multilayer structure of leather with a very tight surface and a gradient of the structural density over the cross-section causes this universal performance. To date, this structure could neither be achieved with synthetic nor with bio-based materials.