Experimental repair technique for glass defects of glass-glass photovoltaic modules – A techno-economic analysis

Solar photovoltaic (PV) energy is a crucial supply technology in the envisioned renewable energy system. With enormous amounts of PV modules being installed, some will be affected by early-life failures and the resulting e-waste from PV modules is raising environmental concerns. A failure of growing importance is the defect in the glass layer(s) of glass-glass PV modules. In this research, an experimental glass repair technique for glass-glass PV modules was tested and examined. The PV modules with glass defects under test did not show internal defects in the PV cells, while the repaired specimens performed properly at each phase in the repair process compared to reference modules, the IEC standards and manufacturer warranty. After a damp-heat test the repaired PV modules showed no signs of water ingress, suggesting that the glass layer was restored as a proper barrier. However, definite conclusions should be made with caution since the non-repaired specimens neither showed visible signs of water ingress. While the practical application of the reparation technique has still some uncertainties, glass reparation is found to be technically feasible and effective. Furthermore, economic and energetic analyses indicate that glass defect reparation is economically interesting and energetically desirable.