Development of low-cost, light weight c-Si photovoltaic modules with potential for applications in VIPV

Abstract

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.