Solar Panels with Long Lifespans: The Promise of New Materials

Solar panels are renowned for their durability and ability to produce clean energy. Some panels installed in the 1990s are still generating power today. However, their longevity comes at a significant economic cost. To ensure solar panels last 25 years or more, manufacturers use various expensive sealants and protective layers.

The Protection and Cost of Solar Panels
To safeguard the fragile crystalline silicon cells, many solar panels are protected with costly materials like ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) coatings. While effective in preventing environmental damage, these materials increase the cost of solar panels, limiting their widespread adoption.

Silicone Resin: A Potential Alternative Material
Researchers at the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (CSE) in the U.S. are exploring cheaper alternatives to traditional materials. Silicone resin is one promising material. Unlike inorganic crystals or organic polymers, silicone resin is inert and can be synthetically produced for a variety of applications, making it an appealing choice for photovoltaic module encapsulation.

While silicone resin mixtures are already used for module encapsulation, its use in lamination of solar cells is relatively new. To explore its potential, Fraunhofer researchers developed a prototype of silicone resin-laminated cells, which were tested under extreme conditions in artificial climate chambers.

Environmental Resilience: The Advantages of Silicone Resin
The results of these tests revealed that solar cells encapsulated with silicone resin performed better under harsh conditions. Specifically, these cells exhibited superior load-bearing resilience under extreme conditions, such as strong winds and temperatures as low as -40°C. This suggests that silicone resin could enhance the durability of solar cells while offering a cost-effective alternative to traditional materials.

New Testing Facility and Future Outlook
In addition to researching new materials, Fraunhofer has launched the OTF-1 outdoor photovoltaic testing site in Albuquerque, New Mexico. As part of the Albuquerque Solar Research Center, this site will assist manufacturers in evaluating the real-world performance and durability of photovoltaic components, providing valuable data for the design and integration of solar systems.

Fraunhofer’s Global Influence
Fraunhofer is Europe’s largest application-oriented research organization, with over 80 research units, including institutes across Germany and centers in Europe, the U.S., Asia, and the Middle East. Its continued advancements in photovoltaic technology are driving the global shift towards renewable energy. As new materials and testing methods evolve, solar panel performance and affordability are expected to improve, contributing to the global transition to clean energy.