Towards 50 years lifetime of PV panels laminated with silicone gel technology

A silicone gel lamination technology of PV panels has been developed and gel lamination apparatus with an annual production capacity of 1 MWp has been designed and manufactured. Silicone gel laminated c-Si PV panels were prepared and tested at 3.5 times concentrated solar radiation in the UV chamber. Negligible corrosion of silicone gel laminated PV panels was observed in comparison with EVA laminated panels. In contrast to EVA-laminated panels the transparency reduction induced by UV radiation in silicone gel lamination is very small. Production of silicone gel laminated PV panels with 50 years lifetime could be achievable because of the strongly reduced corrosiveness which is main source of failures in commercial PV panels.Photodegradation of some components of PV systems was observed in the past, for example (Reda, 2007 and Daliento and Lancellotti, 2010).

► Corrosiveness of silicone gel at temperature +85 °C and UV radiation is small compared to EVA film.
► Transparency of the silicone gel is substantially better in the wavelength range 350–900 nm.
► Transparency reduction of silicone gel caused by UV radiation is very small compared to EVA.