Lamination of solar panels: methods, benefits, and drawbacks

Lamination of solar panels is essential to ensuring the durability of a module's solar cells. The encapsulation of the solar cells by lamination is a vital step in the conventional production of solar PV modules since solar panels are exposed to and sensitive to numerous climatic effects.

Laminated solar panels

Using a lamination machine is now the most common method for laminating solar panels. Despite its numerous drawbacks, the vast majority of solar panel manufacturers still employ this antiquated technique.

A solar panel is made of what?

PV lamination is a tried-and-true idea that functions as follows: Two layers of ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) are used to laminate a solar panel in the following order: glass, solar cell threads, EVA, and tedlar polyester tedlar (TPT).

The prepared 5-layer module is placed in the lamination machine and heated for approximately 22 minutes to a maximum temperature of 135°C. When made properly, the laminate will shield the solar cells for at least 25 years and be totally sealed. Excess EVA and TPT will be removed when the laminate has cooled, and the connection box will then be installed. The laminate can then be framed.

Why is the standard laminating procedure so dreadfully out of date right now?

This method of laminating is a tried-and-true idea, but it has drawbacks: a lamination machine is big, expensive, and uses a lot of energy. In addition, a lamination machine is cumbersome and frequently regarded as the PV module factory's production bottleneck. A typical lamination machine can only generate a maximum of six panels per hour, two at a time. Imagine the present production process for all these MWs of panels!

What is the outlook for PV lamination in the future?

The traditional method of laminating is likely to be replaced by one of the several encapsulants available today. The Chinese business GC is a pioneer in innovation and has created a novel method of encapsulating solar panels. With their Spraytek technology, a spray machine that evenly distributes an adhesive on the solar panel takes on the role of the traditional lamination procedure. The solar cell is handled gently, which is the main benefit of the spray technique. Solar cells frequently shatter when going through the traditional lamination process. This is a result of incorrect solder connections. This won't be a problem any more because of the deployment of cutting-edge techniques like GC's Spraytek.

It is impossible for a solar module with faulty lamination to sustain tough conditions and provide faultless performance for 25 years. In order to give solar modules an unmatched level of efficiency and a longer performance warranty, EverExceed Solar Panels always adhere to the most recent advances in lamination technology.