https://doi.org/10.1051/epjpv/2021006
Regular Article
Advanced analysis of backsheet failures from 26 power plants
Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, Heidenhofstr. 2, 79110 Freiburg, Germany
* e-mail: jochen.markert@ise.fraunhofer.de
Received:
30
June
2021
Received in final form:
30
September
2021
Accepted:
21
October
2021
Published online: 17 November 2021
Backsheet degradation is a known reliability issue affecting field-exposed photovoltaic (PV) modules power plants. In this work, we present lessons learned during the last three years, examining modules from 26 power plants in the TestLab PV Modules at Fraunhofer ISE. The basis is a description of the currently observed backsheets and associated degradation features as for example backsheet chalking, cracks in different layers and chemical changes in composition. Furthermore, we lay out analytical methods for initial and more detailed analysis of the failures and module materials. For example, a method designated as “flashlight test” has been found to provide a quick and straightforward method to identify damaged polypropylene (PP) layers within backsheets. Furthermore, scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM) and a comparison of different variants of FTIR spectroscopy are presented.
Key words: PV modules / backsheet degradation / scanning acoustic microscopy / insulation failure analysis
© J. Markert et al., Published by EDP Sciences, 2021
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
