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Rapid Reliability Prediction of Emerging Module Interconnect Technologies With Combined-Accelerated Stress Testing

DuraMAT focuses on the strengths and weaknesses of modern photovoltaic (PV) module cell interconnect designs, implementing combined-accelerated stress testing to screen across multiple climates with finite element and failure analysis to determine the potential for a 50-year life.

Core Objective

Disruptive Acceleration Science

Location

National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories

Applications

Applications include evaluation of interconnect designs for optimization of durability with combined-accelerated stress testing, finite element analysis, and failure analysis at both empirical and fundamental levels. This includes identification of the degradation mechanisms, key stressors, and the materials and design affecting life. We also model degradation rates for forecasting performance and provide recommendations to achieve robust interconnects.

Availability

This capability is available to National Renewable Energy Laboratory scientists and external collaborators.

References

Hacke, P., Owen-Bellini, M., Kempe, M., Miller, D.C., Tanahashi, T., Sakurai, K., Gambogi, W.J., Trout, J.T., Felder, T.C., Choudhury, K.R. and Philips, N.H., "Combined and Sequential Accelerated Stress Testing for Derisking Photovoltaic Modules," Advanced Micro-and Nanomaterials for Photovoltaics (pp. 279–313). Elsevier, 2019.

Spinella and N. Bosco, “Thermomechanical Fatigue Resistance of Low Temperature Solder for Multiwire Interconnects in Photovoltaic Modules,” Solar Energy Materials and Solar Cells, vol. 225, p. 111054, Jun. 2021.

Bosco, T. J. Silverman, and S. Kurtz, "Climate Specific Thermomechanical Fatigue of Flat Plate Photovoltaic Module Solder Joints," Microelectronics Reliability, vol. 62, pp. 124-129, 2016.

Contact

To learn more about this capability, contact Peter Hacke.

Image of modules tested in a lab, labeled Accelerated Testing; An image of copper wire and a silicon cell citing Spinella and Bosco Sol. Mat (2021), labeled Characterization; and two heatmap images, labeled FEA Modeling.