Assessment of encapsulation materials for solar cells

Slovak University of Technology, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology Ilkovičova 3, SK-81219 Bratislava, Slovak Republic

Abstract

Interfacial processes were studied in various insulation foils intended for encapsulation of photovoltaic cells. The analysis was based on the dielectric measurements in a broad region of temperatures and frequencies. The measurements showed that the observed processes are connected with the electrode polarization. The electrode polarization gives rise to the space charge formation and enhancement of electric field near the electrodes. Calculation of the electric field is important for praxis as it allows assessing the risk of electrical breakdown. In our work we use the parameters obtained from the dielectric measurements for calculation of electric field distribution in encapsulating materials. It was found that electric field increases more than 100-times comparing with the mean value.