Durability of Polyolefin Encapsulation in Photovoltaic Modules with SmartWire Technology

Polyolefin elastomer (POE) encapsulants are becoming increasingly competitive options to replace ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA); however, there remains little published work quantifying their adhesion. Here we characterize the critical adhesion energy of POE-encapsulated, bifacial mini-modules using single cantilever beam tests. Two types of structures are explored – a standard construction and one utilizing SmartWire Connection Technology (SWCT). Measurements are obtained for the encapsulant adhesion on both the front and rear sides of the mini-modules. Results indicate that POE encapsulants provide initial adhesion better than EVA; however, adhesion in SmartWire mini-modules is reduced due to weaker bonding with the SmartWire foil. These results provide a crucial baseline for understanding how delamination will affect POE-encapsulated modules. Additionally, they provide the first reported effects of modules utilizing SWCT on resulting adhesive strength.