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Efficient and reliable encapsulation for perovskite/silicon tandem solar modules
Francesco Toniolo1,2, Helen Bristow1, Maxime Babics1
1KAUST Solar Center (KSC), Physical Sciences and Engineering Division (PSE), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. stefaan.dewolf@kaust.edu.sa.
New encapsulants, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and polyolefin (TPO), are evaluated for perovskite/silicon tandem solar modules. These alternatives to EVA show promise for improving stability and performance in packaged solar devices.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Renewable Energy Engineering
- Photovoltaics
Background:
- Perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells offer high performance and cost potential.
- Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) encapsulants are incompatible with perovskite solar cells due to moisture sensitivity.
- Module packaging is crucial for the field deployment and stability of solar technologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate alternative encapsulant polymers (TPU and TPO) for packaging perovskite/silicon tandem solar modules.
- To assess the impact of TPU and TPO on the performance and stability of encapsulated tandem modules.
- To understand the thermomechanical properties of encapsulants and their relation to module stability.
Main Methods:
- Encapsulation of perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells using thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) elastomers.
- Accelerated module stability testing following IEC 61215 standards (damp heat and thermal cycling).
- Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) to characterize encapsulant thermomechanical properties.
Main Results:
- TPU and TPO were successfully used to encapsulate perovskite/silicon tandem minimodules.
- Module stability was evaluated under damp heat and thermal cycling conditions.
- Thermomechanical properties of TPU and TPO were analyzed in relation to thermal cycling performance.
Conclusions:
- Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO) are viable alternative encapsulants for perovskite/silicon tandem solar modules.
- The study provides insights into the packaging process, crucial for the commercialization of perovskite photovoltaics.
- Understanding encapsulant behavior is key to enhancing the long-term stability and reliability of tandem solar modules.
