Core Objective 5: Module Materials Solutions

DuraMAT's materials solutions core objective leverages technical capabilities across all of its partners to design, develop, and de-risk materials that address the current reliability challenges in photovoltaic (PV) systems.

Depending on specific project goals, the study targets may include electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs), backsheets, anti-soiling coatings, flexible packaging, cell cracking, and moisture barriers. This crosscutting objective will generate results that threads through all other objectives as materials solutions is the foundation for advances in reliability and degradation.

Key results under this objective are the development of a self-healing, conducting composite that regains electrical continuity across cracks and the generation of new concepts for module encapsulation and barrier technologies.

Key Results

De-risk innovative materials using accelerated testing and materials forensics: 
- Characterization of failure modes in ECAs, develop crack tolerant metallization to increase reliability of cells, design sustainable, reliable, recyclable backsheets 
Enable new architectures including:
- Flexible modules: define the technical requirement of each component in the flexible module as well as the overall material stack, and develop process to experimentally evaluate module performances, Advance reliability of bifacial modules through new transparent packaging materials