Microscopic Degradation Mechanisms in Silicon Photovoltaic Module under Long-Term Environmental Exposure

We used several analytical methods to identify the mechanism underlying the performance degradation in a photovoltaic (PV) module subjected to long-term (10 years) field exposure. Cloudy visual defects in this module were caused by delamination between the poly(ethylene vinyl acetate) (EVA) and antireflection coating films on the Si substrate. The delamination was considered to be caused by the formation of a segregation layer and oxidative degradation of EVA. Furthermore, it was found that sodium ions diffused from the superstrate glass into the EVA film and Si cell. We confirm that diffusion of sodium ions caused the degradation of Si cells and the superstrate glass of this module. (C) 2012 The Japan Society of Applied Physics