Researchers from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) have developed a brand new silver-free adhesive for shingled photo voltaic cells. The novel adhesive relies on the PEDOT:PSS polymer and might cut back silver consumption to roughly 6.3 mg/W.
A gaggle of scientists from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) has proven that conjugated polymers, that are a category of electronically conductive plastic supplies, can be utilized as an intrinsically conductive adhesive (ICA) in shingled photo voltaic cells.
“This is a brand new utility for a singular class of plastic supplies that we’re very enthusiastic about,” corresponding creator of the analysis, Alexander Chen, stated. pv journal. “While this analysis remains to be in its infancy, an thrilling facet about this work is the deep literature and various chemistry that may be built-in into conjugated polymers for the aim of making new sorts of conductive interconnects and adhesives.”
Shingled photo voltaic panels have a busbar-free construction the place solely a small portion of the cells should not uncovered to daylight. The cells are bonded with electrically conductive adhesive to kind a shingled high-density string and the ensuing strips are linked. Reducing the variety of busbars reduces shadow losses.
The shingled cells used within the experiment had been constructed utilizing cell know-how supplied by California-based startup Sunpreme and intrinsically conductive adhesives (ICAs) primarily based on the PEDOT:PSS polymer. The efficiency of photo voltaic cells constructed utilizing ICAs was in contrast with counterparts primarily based on silver-based electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs) and the scientists discovered that the previous confirmed “comparable” electrical properties. .
Image: University of California, San Diego
“While immediately’s dominant busbar-based modules require about 15.8 mg/W of silver, we calculate that shingling modules with ICAs can cut back silver consumption to roughly 6.3 mg/W, which is able to speed up our place on the silver studying curve for roughly 20 years. These findings recommend that the design of pi-conjugated supplies for ICAs might present a sensible technique for the sustainable deployment of decrease price, excessive energy photo voltaic modules,” the paper says.
Even with the removing of the silver filler, the researchers achieved comparable fill components (FF) and total energy conversion effectivity with shingled interconnects. “The use of a conducting polymer similar to ICA additional opens up many alternatives for tuning the digital, mechanical, and adhesive properties for designing next-generation digital connections,” they added. .
There are enhancements to be made for the analysis that’s nonetheless out there, because the researchers acknowledged in an announcement on pv journal. However, they’re optimistic that it may be executed.
“While we all know that adhesion must be improved to succeed in business merchandise, we’re optimistic that designing higher conjugated polymers for purposes similar to intrinsically conductive adhesives might be achieved shortly,” emphasizes Chen. “This space of analysis builds on the unimaginable wealth of information that already exists in tailoring {the electrical} properties of conducting polymers and the adhesive properties of conventional polymers. There is a big artificial area that may simply to be explored right here.”
The researchers stated they collaborated with a PV engineering service firm – D2Solar, Inc. – to place collectively proof-of-concept shingles. “We stay up for working with PV producers to check the idea on bigger scales and in related outside environments,” they added.
ICAs are offered within the paper “Silver-free intrinsically conductive adhesives for shingled photo voltaic cells,” printed in Cell Reports Physical Science.
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