Glass + Sylgard fail anyone yet?

[rhjames]

There are many tests cells can fail, end up for sale on gray market. Maybe the plating was bad, and will peel off in 3 years, or leakage was high, and a hot spot will heat up and crack your glass. PV cells are not simply little blue chips.

I take your point. There's a lot can go wrong, that may not be immediately obvious.

[ASDCO]

I would like to say hi to everyone, my name is Tom and I've been in retirement for a few years. It's a very boring life to me and I'm tinkering with the idea of coming out of retirement to dive back into the business world. Solar and wind is very interesting to me and I love the challenges this field offers. I always loved taking a business from the shoestrings up disregarding all of the "it won't work" ideas or following in others footsteps. I don't wish to step on anyone's toes but I think everyone has to have an open mind and realize that each person has a different usefulness. An engineer is not a developer and a developer is not a manager etc. Each is excellent in his own field and as long as you remember never to put your toe in the others field there is no argument lol. I have to laugh to myself because I see that right here. The worse thing you can say to an innovator is "it won't work", it's like throwing salt on a wound but on the other hand an engineer saying those words probably knows that it won't work. Again, hi to everyone and I'm hoping to drain all of your brains and have some laughs along the way.

[rhjames]

I would like to say hi to everyone, my name is Tom and I've been in retirement for a few years. It's a very boring life to me and I'm tinkering with the idea of coming out of retirement to dive back into the business world.

I retired 4 years ago, and can honestly say I haven't had a bored second. I long for more time so I could relax or perhaps read a book. I managed to make time to build a solar panel, but won't build any more. The main reason is that I can buy them cheaper, and they're probably better. However, I have no regrets over the experience and knowledge I gained. Go for it.

[russ]

Building a panels is a great science project for young or not so young.

[mariusr]

I'm a diy fanatic and just recently discovered the possibility of making diy solar panels. I've seen so many negative and dismissive comments on diy solar panels, mostly regarding longevity. "You'll never make a panel that will last more than a couple years" is commonly heard. From what I've gathered so far, corrosion is the primary cause of failure due to moisture getting to the cells. Correct me if i'm wrong but since glass and silicon is not porous, the method of encapsulating cells with Sylgard should last quite a while, basically the life of Sylgard. I haven't been able to find any info regarding failure of this method. Is it just too new?

Hi.
After all nobody has tested this method? I mean those who have tested it really is not just giving their opinion. It is good or not? I saw many videos on youtube on this method and it seems ok, but is rather expensive.

[russ]

Hi.
After all nobody has tested this method? I mean those who have tested it really is not just giving their opinion. It is good or not? I saw many videos on youtube on this method and it seems ok, but is rather expensive.

Videos on you tube? There may be a handful that are factual on some subject but most are by people blowing smoke and how to tell who is correct. For that matter a great deal of what you find on the net is either advertising or just plain wrong.

Silicon passes water vapor over time I believe.

[GuyMark]

Just a thought...

I spotted some old solar cells which I had bought around 10 years back (not high quality but they worked for playing with) in the corner of what was once a glass greenhouse. (Still is but used more as a storage room for gardening bits and bobs)

Anyway, the cells were in the same condition (other than dust) as when they were plonked in there for storage. No encapsulation at all. Just dumped on the floor in a little stack in the corner. Bottom ones a bit damp but not corroded in any way, top ones dusty but not harmed. Five minutes with a rag and they looked as they did when I furst bought them.

To repeat the salient point as I understand them - NO encapsulation, 10 years later = "as new".

If someone had some reasonable cells and an old greenhouse they didn't grow anything in anymore, would lining the INSIDE the glass on the (for UK) South / SouthWest/ South facing part of the roof and walls not offer the same level of protection as just leaving them dumped in a box on the floor? I agree it might look odd - and the aluminium frame might need an extra "upright" but I am struggling to understand why they would degrade more when in use than when plonked on the floor to get damp or dusty.

I might be making a huge error in my logic (happens often), but other than people might not want to use a greenhouse roof and wall as a solar panel housing, it just seemed that it might actually work quite well. Commercial grade? No, of course not - but I cannot see why it would fail after a few months / years - but WOULD like to understand if I am missing a point please.

Mark

[Mike90250]

Idle cells in the dark, are not generating power. no voltage = no dissimilar metal electrolysis

As long as the cells are spotlessly clean, with no layer of dust or crud or flux residue, that will attract moisture, you will not get electrolysis, which is what ruins cells.

In poorly sealed DIY panels, the boxes inevitablly become a trap for moisture, which then destroys the cells.

cells have metal plating (transparent aluminum, just a few atoms thick) on the front side to collect power, and it is so thin, it vanishes quickly in the presence of moisture.

[GuyMark]

Brilliant answer, thank you.

I was fairly sure I was missing a point - but I couldn't understand what. Thanks for taking the time to educate me (and hopefully others too )

Kind Regards

Mark

[Naptown]

(transparent aluminum, just a few atoms thick) .

Kind of like in a Star Trek movie. The one with the whales.