Backsheet Degradation under Salt Damp Heat Environments - Enabling Novel and Innovative Solar Photovoltaic Systems Design for Tropical Regions and Sea Close Areas

Photovoltaics technology actually makes the most sense in tropical regions where the sunlight intensity is maximum. Yet traditional PV systems are mostly designed for the northern hemisphere markets, as these are the biggest markets of solar PV systems currently. These PV systems are designed to withstand gusty winds, heavy snows and severe hail impacts. This is thus largely an over design for use in tropical regions. At the same time, this design is also not necessarily the most optimum for tropical regions with many islands, like Indonesia. Exposure to high-angle sunlight onto the PV systems could lead to lower photon capture to the solar cells, while interactions of these traditionally designed PV systems with extreme acid rains and heavy concentration of salt and minerals from seas could lead to premature degradation of the polymer materials inside the PV system. This could in turn instigate corrosion in the metallic interconnects which might then cause electrical shorts and charging/burning and possibly even big fires. Some of our preliminary results on material research that are the pre-requisites of novel and innovative PV system design for these unique regions will be presented.