Publication

Stability of inks used for masking metallic interconnects in BIPV modules

Abstract

The necessity to reduce carbon emissions has pushed European institutions to foster the adoption - for new buildings - of Nearly Zero Energy Buildings, which need to minimize energy consumption with energy generated on site. This opens up an enormous potential for the integration of renewable energy sources in the built environment. However, a massive introduction of PV into buildings should be accompanied by an increased sensitivity in terms of the aesthetic appeal of the modules. Inks masking the metallic interconnects in building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) elements might be an attractive option to produce more aesthetically pleasant modules. In this work, we investigate the stability of three commercial inks (1 solvent based and 2 UV curable) using two common PV configurations (glass-EVA-glass and glassEVA-backsheet). We lay down a testing protocol to screen the stability of inks supplied by different manufacturers using damp heat (DH 85°C, 85%RH) and ultraviolet exposure conditions (UV 65°C, 60 W/m2). Preliminary results show a halo in the surroundings of the coated metallic interconnects for UV curable inks when exposing these samples to direct UV, while no halo is observed when damp heat is performed first and for the solvent-based ink indicating that it is more stable.

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Building-integrated photovoltaics
Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) are photovoltaic materials that are used to replace conventional building materials in parts of the building envelope such as the roof, skylights, or facades. They are increasingly being incorporated into the construction of new buildings as a principal or ancillary source of electrical power, although existing buildings may be retrofitted with similar technology.
Zero-energy building
A Zero-Energy Building (ZEB), also known as a Net Zero-Energy (NZE) building, is a building with net zero energy consumption, meaning the total amount of energy used by the building on an annual basis is equal to the amount of renewable energy created on the site or in other definitions by renewable energy sources offsite, using technology such as heat pumps, high efficiency windows and insulation, and solar panels. The goal is that these buildings contribute less overall greenhouse gas to the atmosphere during operations than similar non-ZNE buildings.
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