Analysis of thermo-mechanical stresses in novel back contact solar modules

The mechanical integrity of interconnect structures in photovoltaic modules is a crucial factor for the lifetime of a PV power plant. Therefore the mechanical stresses in different types of PV module assemblies were analyzed by FEM-simulations. The goal is to develop a systematic understanding of mechanical behavior of photovoltaic modules. The study figures out the critical elements in the module interconnect structures which are most likely to fail.