A team of researchers at the ENEA Center in Portici, Naples, has developed innovative materials to safeguard photovoltaic panels from moisture and ultraviolet rays. "Preliminary tests published in ScienceDirect are very encouraging and also highlight that durability and resistance to ultraviolet rays of these new encapsulating films can be further improved by adding appropriate additives in the formulation," explains Valeria Fiandra, a researcher at the ENEA Innovative Devices Laboratory and coauthor of the study along with colleagues Lucio Sannino, Concetta Andreozzi, Giovanni Flaminio (Energy and Data Science Laboratory) and Michele Pellegrino (Methodologies, Approaches and Tools for the Analysis of the Sustainability of Energy Technologies Section). Encapsulating films are polymeric-plastic materials used to coat and insulate photovoltaic cells from air and moisture; they play a key role in photovoltaic technology because they perform crucial tasks such as conferring structural integrity, preventing cell damage, forming a barrier against moisture, and ensuring reliability and durability of the module by protecting it from degradation due to weathering, light and oxygen. Currently, the most widely used encapsulant in photovoltaic modules is a polymeric material called EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate), which has excellent sunlight transmission due to the presence of additives that enhance its optical and chemical properties. However, during the life of the module, EVA undergoes chemical degradation due to ultraviolet radiation, high temperatures, and weathering that leads to the formation of acetic acid. The development of this acid results in cell corrosion and subsequent deterioration of the module.
|