Proposal for Repairable Silicon Solar Panels: Proof of Concept

Ehab El-Fayome, Abdel Halim Zekry, Mohamed A. Abdelhamed, Ahmed EL-Shazly, Mohamed Abouelatta, Ahmed Shaker and Ahmed Saeed ()
Additional contact information
Ehab El-Fayome: Faculty of Engineering, Ain-Shams University, Cairo 11535, Egypt
Abdel Halim Zekry: Electronics and Electrical Communication Department, Ain-Shams University, Cairo 11535, Egypt
Mohamed A. Abdelhamed: Electronics and Electrical Communication Department, Ain-Shams University, Cairo 11535, Egypt
Ahmed EL-Shazly: Electronics and Electrical Communication Department, Ain-Shams University, Cairo 11535, Egypt
Mohamed Abouelatta: Electronics and Electrical Communication Department, Ain-Shams University, Cairo 11535, Egypt
Ahmed Shaker: Engineering Physics and Mathematics Department, Ain-Shams University, Cairo 11535, Egypt
Ahmed Saeed: Electrical Engineering Department, Future University in Egypt, Cairo 11835, Egypt

Energies, 2023, vol. 16, issue 18, 1-13

Abstract: The long-term performance of traditional solar panels can be affected by various climate conditions, resulting in issues such as decreased power output, interconnector failure, and cell fracture. Unfortunately, traditional modules are not repairable, and often the entire unit must be replaced, even if the failure is due only to a single component. In this work, conventional encapsulation methods are investigated, and a novel solar panel design approach is introduced. This innovative approach enables easy and direct access to individual components, thereby enabling the convenient carrying out of repairs, upgrades, and modifications. The proposed module configuration is composed of a double-layer structure. The initial layer functions as a protective glass cover while the second layer is made up of solar cells that are attached to a printed circuit board (PCB) that can endure high temperatures. These two layers are combined within an aluminum frame that can be opened for accessibility. To test the effectiveness of this new encapsulation technique, an experimental study was conducted. It was revealed through this experimental study that the dark and illuminated current–voltage characteristics are not affected when applying the new encapsulation technique. Furthermore, a theoretical thermal analysis was conducted in order to compare the performance of the proposed module with that of a conventional module. According to the thermal analysis, the proposed encapsulation method should result in slightly higher thermal stress on the solar cells compared with conventional encapsulation. Nonetheless, the proposed methodology offers advantages in terms of reliability and reparability. Thus, implementing the presented design can help conserve natural resources and reduce production costs.

Keywords: PV module; traditional solar panel; failure mode; repairable solar panel; thermal analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/18/6492/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/16/18/6492/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jeners:v:16:y:2023:i:18:p:6492-:d:1235824

Access Statistics for this article

Energies is currently edited by Ms. Agatha Cao

More articles in Energies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().