Project Smart4Module

Excerpt

Smart reductions in the environmental impact of photovoltaic modules: interconnection, encapsulation and integration.

Romain Feilleux-Anginieur, Laboratory Manager, CEA

The Smart4Module project explores several avenues for reducing the environmental impact of the photovoltaic industry. Specifically, the focus is on developing materials and processes that can reduce the use of critical materials and/or facilitate their recycling. By extension, the issue of land use is also being addressed through integration into already artificial surfaces. The project’s contributions will focus on the modulization of various cell technologies. As such, particular attention will be paid to the reliability and durability of the proposed solutions, where possible. The topics covered are divided along the three axes of module manufacture: interconnection, encapsulation and integration.

Key words: Photovoltaic modules, encapsulation, interconnection, integration, reduction of critical materials, recycling, acceptability, durability, reliability.

Tasks

Our researches

Interconnection

Inside a module, the cells are electrically connected to each other. This connection generally uses diodes and interconnections, which currently rely on the use of critical materials. What’s more, the processes used are not systematically compatible with new cell technologies. The Smart4Module project will contribute to the development of diode manufacturing processes compatible with module printing. Next, efforts will be made to develop two interconnection technologies without critical materials, using organic solutions.

Encapsulating

Encapsulating photovoltaic cells protects them from the external environment (humidity, oxygen, mechanical stress, etc.). At present, the processes and materials used give rise to a number of problems. In particular, encapsulation makes it particularly difficult to recycle panels at the end of their life, and the level of protection against moisture penetration is insufficient for future cell technologies. The Smart4Module project aims to develop new encapsulation materials that reconcile reliability and recyclability. At the same time, efforts will be made to develop new encapsulation processes compatible with new cell technologies and offering enhanced protection against moisture penetration.

Integration

The deployment of photovoltaics poses the problem of competing land uses. At present, this problem is addressed in a number of ways, including integration with agricultural land (agrivoltaics) and integration with buildings (BIPV). The Smart4Module project will contribute to the development of new transparent or semi-transparent solutions adapted to these modes of integration. These solutions will respectively aim to selectively use the solar spectrum for agrivoltaic applications, and to facilitate social acceptance for BIPV.