Aging-effects of polymeric encapsulation on the mechanical characteristics of solar panels and embedded components

Solar panels are exposed to varying external static and dynamic mechanical loads which determine the lifetime of the whole multilayered structure. The induced mechanical stresses are originate with weather phenomena such as wind, snow, and hail. Influences like these are strongly mechanically impacting on modules. Moreover, environmental parameters such as humidity and UV-radiation influence mechanical properties of module components in a yet not investigated way, thus influencing the modules' response to aforementioned stresses. The aging behavior - particularly the embrittlement - of the encapsulating polymer under UV-exposure was investigated using ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) as an example. A detailed numeric model of a PV-module and its layer setup regarding front glass, encapsulation, silicon-cells and copper interconnectors was created.