• Author: Søndergaard, Roar

    Functional organic materials, Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, 4000, Roskilde

  • Author: Makris, Theodoros

    Engineering Science Department, University of Patras

  • Author: Lianos, Panagiotis

    Engineering Science Department, University of Patras

  • Author: Manor, Assaf

    Department of Solar Energy and Environmental Physics, J. Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

  • Author: Katz, Eugene A.

  • Author: Gong, Wei

  • Author: Tuladhar, Sachetan M.

    Department of Physics, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London

  • Author: Nelson, Jenny

    Department of Physics, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London

  • Author: Tuomi, Ralf

    Department of Physics, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London

  • Author: Sommeling, Paul

    Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN)

  • Author: Veenstra, Sjoerd C.

    Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN)

  • Author: Rivaton, Agnès

  • Author: Dupuis, Aurélie

  • Author: Teran-Escobar, Gerardo

    Centre d'Investigacio en Nanociencia i Nanotecnologia Laboratory of Nanostructured Materials for Photovoltaic Energy ETSE, Campus UAB

  • Author: Lira-Cantu, Monica

    Centre d'Investigacio en Nanociencia i Nanotecnologia Laboratory of Nanostructured Materials for Photovoltaic Energy ETSE, Campus UAB

  • Author: Sapkota, Subarna B.

  • Author: Zimmermann, Birger

    Fraunhofer Instiute for Solar Energy Systems ISE

  • Author: Würfel, Uli

  • Author: Matzarakis, Andreas

    Meteorological Institute, University of Freiburg

  • Author: Krebs, Frederik C

    Functional organic materials, Department of Energy Conversion and Storage, Technical University of Denmark, 4000, Roskilde

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A new encapsulation method for organic solar cells has been tested on flexible solar modules and cells embedded in polyurethane, sandwiched between a tempered glass plate and a polycarbonate plate. Panels, each containing 10 organic solar modules/cells, were fabricated and installed for outdoor exposure in eight different countries for 4½ months. In order to minimize potential deviations in procedures and equipment, one person was responsible for the fabrication, installation and initial and final IV-measurements of the panels using the same equipment for all measurements and calibrations. The encapsulated modules/cells showed significantly reduced degradation compared with previous studies, with final average efficiencies around 40% of the original after 4½ months outdoor exposure. Photodegradation was furthermore found not to be the primary source of degradation.
Original languageEnglish
JournalSolar Energy Materials & Solar Cells
Publication date2012
Volume99
Pages292-300
ISSN0927-0248
DOIs
StatePublished
CitationsWeb of Science® Times Cited: 3

Keywords

  • Encapsulation, Polyurethane, Organic solar cells, Outdoor stability study, Round robin, Inter laboratory study (ILS)

ID: 7597905