Browsing by Subject "silicon PV"

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Access status: Open Access ,
Development of low-cost, light weight c-Si photovoltaic modules with potential for applications in VIPV
(2025) Fligier, Bartlomiej; Nalluri, Srinath; Moćko, Bernard; Drabczyk, Kazimierz; Kulesza-Matlak, Grażyna; Jajczak, Katarzyna; Padhamnath, Pradeep
WIMiIP
Vehicle integrated photovoltaics (VIPV) is gathering attention by researchers and industry alike to help in decarbonization of transport industry. While PV panels have been integrated to the vehicles to support auxiliary functions, their wide scale implementation is limited by their size, weight and rigidity. In this work we present a proof-of-concept method to produce bi-facial PV panels with fibre-glass reinforced composite fabric (GRCF) using vacuum resin infusion process. These modules are specifically designed for integrating with an electric car and to be used as a power source to charge the batteries. Mini modules are fabricated using two interdigitated back contact solar cells sandwiched between layers of GRCF sheets. The modules are prepared by drawing the resin under a suitable vacuum through the different GRCF layers and allowing the resin to cure at room temperature. The modules are prepared at room temperature without using a stringer or laminator. Three different metal end-strips are used to assess their performance in the finally prepared module. The modules are subjected to the damp-heat test to analyse the degradation in the modules and the suitability of the fabrication process. Results show that resistance losses and optical losses play a vital role in the final losses resulting from degradation of the modules. Finally, we have shown in this work that it is possible to fabricate such modules using low-cost technology. By fine tuning and scaling-up the process, it is possible to produce modules of any size which could further help in the rapid integration of c-Si PV modules in vehicles.
Access status: Open Access ,
Recent Progress in the Recovery and Recycling of Polymers from End-of-Life Silicon PV Modules
(2025) Padhamnath, Pradeep
Wydział Inżynierii Metali i Informatyki Przemysłowej
Solar photovoltaic (PV) technology has emerged as the most preferred source of clean energy generation and has been deployed at a large scale. However, end-of-life management of the PV modules is a critical issue that has garnered the recent attention of lawmakers and researchers alike. Consequently, several researchers are actively developing technology to recycle the end-of-life PV modules. Since silicon PV modules account for more than 90% of the modules deployed globally, most of these efforts are focused on recycling crystalline silicon PV modules. Researchers have primarily focused on recovering pure silver from the contacts and pure Si from the solar cells. However, to ensure complete recyclability of such panels, the different polymers used in these modules must also be recycled. This review addresses the issue of recycling the polymers from end-of-life c-Si modules. Scopus and Google Scholar were used to search for the relevant literature. This review presents the current state-of-the-art technology related to polymer recycling found in the PV modules, the challenges encountered in their recycling, and the outlook. While research on the recycling of polymers has progressed in the last few decades, the instances of their applications in the recycling of polymers from PV panels are rarely reported in the literature. In this work, certain technical pathways, which can be employed to recycled polymers obtained from end-of-life PV panels, are presented. Recycling the polymers from the end-of-life silicon PV modules is crucial for improving the sustainability of solar PV technology.