Laure-Emmanuelle Perret-Aebi

Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV): Review, Potentials, Barriers and Myths

Abstract To date, none of the predictions that have been made about the emerging BIPV industry have really hit the target. The anticipated boom has so far stalled and despite developing and promoting a number of excellent systems and products, many producers around the world have been forced to quit on purely economic grounds. The authors believe that after this painful cleansing of the market, a massive counter trend will follow, enlivened and carried forward by more advanced PV technologies and ever-stricter climate policies designed to achieve energy neutrality in a cost-effective way. As a result, the need for BIPV products for use in construction will undergo first a gradual and then a massive increase. The planning of buildings with multifunctional, integrated roof and façade elements capable of fulfilling the technical and legal demands will become an essential, accepted part of the architectonic mainstream and will also contribute to an aesthetic valorisation. Until then, various barriers need to be overcome in order to facilitate and accelerate BIPV. Besides issues related to mere cost-efficiency ratio, psychological and social factors also play an evident role. The goal of energy change linked to greater use of renewables can be successfully achieved only when all aspects are taken into account and when visual appeal and energy efficiency thus no longer appear to be an oxymoron.

When PV modules are becoming real building elements: White solar module, a revolution for BIPV

CSEM in its photovoltaic activity has developed white solar modules with conversion efficiencies above 10%. This innovative PV technology is particularly attractive to be used in building industry where PV elements can blend into building skin and become virtually hidden energy sources. The new Swiss company called Solaxess is now working on the industrialization of this new technology and the first products are expected to be in the market at the end of 2015.

Degradation in PV encapsulation transmittance: An interlaboratory study towards a climate-specific test

Reduced optical transmittance of encapsulants resulting from ultraviolet (UV) degradation has frequently been identified as a cause of decreased PV module performance through the life of service in the field. The present module safety and qualification standards, however, apply short UV doses only capable of examining design robustness or “infant mortality” failures. Essential information that might be used to screen encapsulation through product lifetime remains unknown. For example, the relative efficacy of xenon-arc and UVA-340 fluorescent sources or the typical range of activation energy for degradation is not quantified. We have conducted an interlaboratory experiment to provide the understanding that will be used towards developing a climate- and configuration-specific (UV) weathering test. Five representative, known formulations of EVA were studied in addition to one TPU material. Replicate laminated silica/polymer/silica specimens are being examined at 14 institutions using a variety of indoor chambers (including Xenon, UVA-340, and metal-halide light sources) or field aging. The solar-weighted transmittance, yellowness index, and the UV cut-off wavelength, determined from the measured hemispherical transmittance, are examined to provide understanding and guidance for the UV light source (lamp type) and temperature used in accelerated UV aging tests.

Fast and Nondestructive Detection on the EVA Gel Content in Photovoltaic Modules by Optical Reflection

Poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA) has been the dominating material in the photovoltaic (PV) encapsulant market for decades, owing to its superior cost-performance balance. To achieve its desired material properties, EVA undergoes a curing reaction during the module encapsulation process. The resulting EVA gel content after encapsulation is an important criterion for the module encapsulation quality control. Normally, the determination of gel content is achieved using a tedious solvent extraction method. In this paper, a fast and nondestructive detection method on the EVA gel content based on the optical reflection is explored. First, the homogeneity of the EVA gel content distribution after the standard EVA encapsulation process is studied. Then, the feasibility of the proposed optical approach applied to transparent modules is investigated. After that, a method is developed to apply it to opaque modules by incorporating a mirror into the module construction. It was found that the haze factor of the reflected light correlates well with the EVA gel content in the opaque modules. This proof-of-concept work could lead to the development of a fast and nondestructive tool for detecting the EVA gel content in both transparent and opaque PV modules, which is promising for integration as an inline diagnostic tool in the module manufacturing line.

Scanning tunneling microscopy at multiple voltage biases of stable “ring-like” Ag clusters on Si(111)–(7 × 7)

Since more than twenty years it is known that deposition of Ag onto Si(111)–(7×7) leads under certain conditions to the formation of so-called “ring-like” clusters, that are particularly stable among small clusters. In order to resolve their still unknown atomic structure, we performed voltage dependent scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) measurements providing interesting information about the electronic properties of clusters which are linked with their atomic structure. Based on a structural model of Au cluster on Si(111)–(7×7) and our STM images, we propose an atomic arrangement for the two most stable Ag “ring-like” clusters.

Alleviating power quality issues when integrating PV into built areas: Design and control of DC microgrids

Increasing penetration of PV sources in LV grids is introducing new challenges to the quality of voltage. Variability of solar radiation can cause power ramps of up to the nominal power of the plant in one second, which directly induces voltage fluctuations on distribution feeders. To mitigate this impact on power quality, we investigate the introduction of dc micro-grids interfaced to the ac grid through four-quadrant inverter. The introduced control strategy is able to manage the entire system without any communication layer and to ensure at the same time: i) ramp-rate control of the power exchanged with the ac grid; ii) voltage stability on both dc and ac grids; iii) maintaining the state of charge of storage devices connected to the dc grid. In the paper the effectiveness of the proposed strategy is shown with numerical simulations considering real profiles of solar irradiation and load power.

Insights into the encapsulation process of photovoltaic modules: GC-MS analysis on the curing step of Poly (ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA) encapsulant

Appropriate encapsulation schemes are essential in protecting the active components of the photovoltaic (PV) module against weathering and to ensure long term reliability. For crystalline cells, poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA) is the most commonly used PV encapsulant. Additives like peroxides and silanes are formulated in EVA encapsulants to obtain the desired properties, e.g. the desired gel content value and sufficient adhesion after the encapsulation process etc. The identification and control of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released by the polymeric encapsulant during PV module encapsulation is important for understanding and optimizing processes in order to enhance the encapsulation quality of the manufactured modules. The authors demonstrate how gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) techniques can be used to help understand the curing process, mainly by identifying the VOCs emanating from EVA under the effect of temperature and pressure. The results provide chemical insights into the EVA encapsulation process, which are valuable for further optimization of the PV module manufacturing process and evaluation of its environmental impact.

Modeling of voids evolution in the encapsulation process of photovoltaic modules

Being void-free is an important criterion for the quality control of photovoltaic (PV) modules after encapsulation. The encapsulation process of PV modules with Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) polymer is complex, due to the time-dependent processing conditions and the material properties caused by continuous heat transfer and chemical reactions such as crosslinking. Hence, an in-depth understanding on the void evolution mechanism is challenging yet critical for obtaining high-quality, durable void-free PV modules and improving their production throughput. Towards this goal, a void evolution model is proposed in order to reveal the most appropriate processing parameter windows for eliminating voids during the EVA encapsulation process. Firstly, the types and origins of the voids in PV modules are discussed. Then the pressure balance in-/outside the void is considered, to evaluate the void stability as a function of temperature and pressure in the actual encapsulation cycle. Finally, a diffusion-controlled model for the evolution of void of wet air is adapted and implemented to predict the void evolution and interpret the experimental observations throughout the encapsulation process. In the conclusion, the critical processing parameters affecting the void evolution during the encapsulation process of PV modules are highlighted.

Effect of Cooling Press on the Optical Transmission through Photovoltaic Encapsulants

In certain laminators for poly (ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA) encapsulation process of photovoltaic modules, cooling press (CP) is applied to the module after encapsulation. Here, the effect of CP on the optical transmission through common PV encapsulants is studied. Interestingly, CP is shown to reduce drastically the scattering of the light between 400 and 700 nm traveling through the thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO)-based encapsulant. Post-annealing tests prove this effect to be stable at the temperature up to 85°C. This work has discovered a simple solution to mitigate the milky appearance of the TPO encapsulant and hence greatly enhanced its competitiveness against EVA. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Degradation in PV encapsulant strength of attachment: An interlaboratory study towards a climate-specific test

Reduced strength of attachment of the encapsulant resulting from the outdoor environment, including ultraviolet (UV) radiation, may decrease photovoltaic (PV) module lifetime by enabling widespread corrosion of internal components. To date, few studies exist showing how the adhesion of PV components varies with environmental stress. We have conducted an interlaboratory experiment to provide an understanding that will be used to develop climatic specific module tests. Factors examined in the study included the UV light source (lamp type), temperature, and humidity to be proposed for use in accelerated aging tests. A poly (ethylene-co-vinyl acetate) (EVA) formulation often used in veteran PV installations was studied using a compressive shear test - to quantify the strength of attachment at the EVA/glass interface. Replicate laminated glass/polymer/glass coupon specimens were weathered at 12 institutions using a variety of indoor chambers or field aging. Shear strength, shear strain, and toughness were measured using a mechanical load-frame for the compressive shear test, with subsequent optical imaging and electron microscopy of the separated surfaces.