Improving long term performance and durability of photovoltaic modules by incorporating an edge seal with optimized properties and application design flexibility

Photovoltaic (PV) modules are sensitive to moisture ingress as it reduces their long term performance and compromises safety during their service life. A properly designed edge seal with a balanced set of properties can prevent such moisture ingress and significantly extend the service life of a module. Apart from the surface and bulk properties, highly consistent application and design driven application flexibility are also critical to reduce manufacturing process variation. A solar edge seal with better adhesion properties, thermal stability, application properties, and low MVTR (moisture vapor transmission rate) was developed through a series of accelerated life aging tests. The results of these tests are analyzed and discussed in this paper.