Featured in As simple as IBC – 03-2023

Rotate half cells for stronger modules

A team of researchers at the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has developed a structural mechanics model to calculate the probability of cell cracking under given loads. It is now making it available to the public, as NREL’s Harrison Dreves explains.
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pv magazine
The rise of larger cell and module formats in recent years has triggered new interest in how mechanical stress from snow, wind, or other sources can damage cells, and the best strategies to avoid it. | Photo: NREL

Over the last decade, silicon PV cell size has continued to grow from a convention of 156 mm, in 2012, to the 210 mm cells now growing to represent much of the market. Since the ubiquitous 6 x 12 cell array has persisted, the result is larger modules and higher cell stress for the same …

pv magazine
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