Development of commercial-scale photovoltaic modules using monolithic module assembly

Back-contact silicon solar cells enable new concepts for the module design and assembly. Monolithic module assembly refers to a process whereby the solar cell circuit and the module encapsulation are accomplished during the lamination step. This paper describes the advantages of MMA, progress in design and qualification of a commercial module based on MMA, and first results on pilot-scale production of MMA modules. Photovoltaic modules are expected to have 25-year lifetimes. Hence, an extensive program for reliability testing and verification was instituted in order to help accelerate fundamental understanding of long-term performance characteristics.