Backsheet cracking – a global phenomenon

When the polymer backsheet that protects the rear side of a PV module starts to crack and degrade, loss of performance can be both rapid and severe. And thousands of modules deployed over the last decade are now thought to be vulnerable, making it a billion-dollar issue for PV asset owners. In this pv magazine Webinar, we examine the size of the problem and take a look at a new solution from Dow that promises a speedy repair for damaged backsheets.

In Germany alone, experts have estimated that as much as 10 GW of deployed PV capacity could be affected by backsheet cracking. And other regions face a similar challenge, with the problem not confined to any particular deployment conditions or even a single backsheet material.

Once a backsheet has cracked severely enough, it no longer provides an effective barrier against moisture. Once moisture sets in, PV modules can quickly lose performance to corrosion, leakage currents and other issues. The worst cases come with additional concerns over safety.

A performance issue this size represents potentially huge losses for asset owners – even if modules are replaced under warranty, the lost time and other additional costs paint a very ugly picture. And while many manufacturers have evaluated new backsheet materials or switched to using glass on both sides, this is a problem that will likely be with us for years to come.

Repairing damaged backsheets offers a much more desirable solution, and is exactly what Dow proposes with its latest Dowsil PV-9001 Backsheet Coating. The after-market backsheet coating is applied as a spray or using a squeegee. Testing under harsh environmental conditions has shown it to be an effective solution to repair cracked backsheets, and the coating will come under further expert scrutiny during this pv magazine Webinar.

Gabriele Eder, Senior Researcher and Project manager at Austrian Research institute OFI, will provide a full background on the growing phenomenon of backsheet cracking in the field and how it damages PV module performance. Guy Beaucarne, TS&D Fellow at Dow will join to introduce the Dowsil PV-9001 Backsheet Coating, and both speakers will share some impressive results from product testing under various harsh environments.

pv magazine Webinar content:

• Acknowledgement of a global phenomenon: backsheet cracking of in field modules
• How cracking occurs and what it means for PV module performance
• Introduction of Dowsil PV-9001 Backsheet Coating
• Third party testing – set up and results

Questions can be submitted beforehand or during the webinar. Mark Hutchins, editor at pv magazine, will be the moderator of this webinar.

Registration for this pv magazine Webinar is free of charge.