A Defect Formation as Snail Trails in Photovoltaic Modules

Fu-Ming  Lin; Shih-Siang  Yan; Wen-Kuei  Lee; Chung-Teng  Huang; Han-Chang  Liu

doi:10.4236/epe.2015.78032

Han-Chang Liu, Chung-Teng Huang, Wen-Kuei Lee, Shih-Siang Yan, Fu-Ming Lin

Abstract: In this paper, we discussed the field failures of the brownish discolored lines like snail trails in PV modules. We were successful simulation snail trails in laboratory and outdoor field. We had found out some types EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) encapsulants and back sheets which had the serious snail trails but others were snail trails free. Furthermore, according to IEC 61215 accelerated aging testing, we also found only within 2% power loss after these modules impacted by snail trails. The main power losses over 5% were come from cell micro cracks before snail trail formation. That snail trails occurrence means solar cells should have micro cracks. In here, we contributed the snail trail effects and avoided the failures in future photovoltaic modules performance.

Keywords: Snail Trails, Micro Crack, EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate)

Cite this paper: Liu, H. , Huang, C. , Lee, W. , Yan, S. and Lin, F. (2015) A Defect Formation as Snail Trails in Photovoltaic Modules. Energy and Power Engineering, 7, 348-353. doi: 10.4236/epe.2015.78032.

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