New research by UNSW shows that EVA-gapseled Topcon-Con zonnem modules can suffer considerable power losses and filling factor drops under moist testing. The study describes metallization breakdown mechanisms driven by EVA-generated contaminants and shows the effectiveness of metallization adjustments in reducing EVA-induced breakdown reasons
A research team from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Has investigated the degradation mechanisms of industrial-concon-zonnem modules that have been encapsulated with ethylene vinylacetate (EVA) under accelerated moist conditions and has shown that degradation is mainly driven by the generation of aircraft from Eva-Encapsulant.
“Our work emphasizes critical risks in the adoption of EVA-kidney for the production of cost-effective top-concon module and offers clear, usable insights into improving the reliability of Topcon for implementation in damp and hot environments,” said the main author of the research, Bram Hoex, said PV -Magazine. “It also offers a new understanding of the degradation mechanisms of metallization driven by Eva-generated contaminants and shows the effectiveness of metallization adjustments when reducing EVA-induced breakdown speeds.”
In the study “Is Topcon ready for Eva? Insights from damp heat tests from glass-backsheet modules“Published in Solar energy materials and solar cellsHoex and his colleagues explained that Eva tends to generate acetic acid (CH3COOH) In the course of time, which can be harmful to the power of an EVA-gap module and the filling factor (FF).
They in particular analyzed two types of industrial EVA-gapsel glass-backsheet topcon modules with different metallic connections front under moist conditions and Two metallization paving: Conventional Silver-Aluminum (AG/AL) Pasta and AG-Pasta with low al-content combined with laser-supported shooting (cowardly).
The modules were based on 182 mm x 183.75 mm topcon cells based on G10 N-type Czochralski (CZ) Waffels. In addition, UV-blocking EVA was applied to the front and UV transparent Eva was used at the back, where the afterwards was transparent with a white grid design.
Image: Unsw, Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, CC by 4.0
Analyzed under humid (DH) test conditions, Conventional AG/AL -Pasta modules were found to show serious performancegradation after 1,000 hours, with a relatively power loss of 37.0 %, which was due to a reduction of 34.9 % in FF.
Moreover, the analysis showed that the AG pasta with low al-content with cowardly improved stability, whereby power loss and FF decrease are considerably lower. Contacts front exhibited corrosion and glass frits dissolution, which is particularly serious with AG/al -Pasta, while contacts at the rear, with Tellurium (te) rich alloys, significant corrosion and delamination showed.
“These findings underline the serious instability of AG/al-Pasta, while also revealing that the EVA-kidney employee contributes to demolition in Lage Al-AG-Paste Topcon modules, albeit to a lesser extent,” the researchers emphasized.
They also recommend reducing the al-content in metallization paste combined with cowardly processing such as partial mitigation and suggested that alternative encapsulants such as polyolefine-elastomer (POE)]or improved metallization strategies are assumed to achieve long-term module stability.
Earlier research by UNSW showed the vulnerability of Topcon sun cells to contact corrosion and three types of Topcon zone module errors that were never detected in perc panels. In addition, UNSW scientists investigated the breakdown of topcon sun cells induced by sodium under exposure to moisture heating.
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