Method of manufacturing photovoltaic modules with improved reliability

Abstract

A solar module includes a protective shell with at least two sealed sections formed by moisture barrier sealants. Each sealed section is separated from the adjacent sections and includes at least a portion of a solar cell. In this sectioned configuration, any local defect through the protective shell will only affect the performance of the portions of the solar cells within a particular section that contains this defect and will not affect the portions of the solar cells that are in other sections.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A method of manufacturing a solar cell module comprising the steps of:
 disposing at least one solar cell over a first protective sheet, the at least one solar cell including a front light receiving side and a back substrate side;   disposing an edge sealant along the edges of the first protective sheet, thereby forming a cavity holding the at least one solar cell;   at least partially covering the at least one solar cell with a support material on both the front light receiving side and the back substrate side of the solar cell;   disposing a divider sealant to divide the cavity into at least two cavity sections; and   placing a second protective sheet over the support material, the edge sealant and the divider sealant to enclose the at least two cavity sections, wherein the moisture transmission rate through the edge sealant and the divider sealant is less than 0.001 gm/m 2 /day.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20  further comprising applying heat and pressure to a resulting assembly of the protective sheets, at least one solar cell, sealant and the support material so as to laminate the solar cell units between the two protective sheets. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising cooling the resulting assembly so as to cause the support material to bond to the first and second protective sheets and to the at least one solar cell. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the at least one solar cell includes a first solar cell and a second solar cell that is electrically interconnected to the first solar cell. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein each of the at least two cavity sections contains one of the first solar cell and the second solar cell that is electrically interconnected to the first solar cell. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the step of at least partially covering the at least one solar cell with the support material comprises sandwiching the first solar cell between a first set of layers of the support material, and sandwiching the second solar cell between a second set of layers of the support material. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the divider sealant is aligned with a busbar of the at least one of the first and second solar cells. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein a divider sealant space is located on at least one of the first and second solar cells. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the step of at least partially covering the at least one solar cell with the support material comprises sandwiching the first solar cell between a first set of layers of the support material, and sandwiching the second solar cell between a second set of layers of the support material, wherein the divider sealant space is free of and excludes the support material. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the step of disposing the divider sealant comprises disposing at least a portion of the divider sealant on the divider sealant space located on at least one of the first and second solar cells. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the portion of the divider sealant is disposed on at least one of the front light receiving side and the back substrate side of at least one the first solar cell and the second solar cells. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the at least two cavity sections each contain at least a portion of at least one of the first solar cell and the second solar cell that is electrically interconnected to the first solar cell. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the step of disposing the divider sealant comprises disposing at least a portion of the divider sealant on the at least one solar cell so that at least one of the cavity sections contain at least one portion of the at least one solar cell and the support material covering the at least one portion of the at least one solar cell. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the portion of the divider sealant is disposed on at least one of the front light receiving side and the back substrate side of the at least one solar cell. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the portion of the divider sealant is aligned with a busbar of the at least one solar cell. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the support material is a transparent polymeric material. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the first protective sheet includes one of a moisture barrier flexible polymeric film and glass. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the second protective sheet includes one of a moisture barrier flexible polymeric film and glass. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the solar cells are Group IBIIIAVIA thin film solar cells with stainless steel substrate. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38  wherein the solar cells, the front protective sheet and the back protective sheet are flexible.