Solar cell module

Abstract

To provide a solar cell module that can improve durability while suppressing manufacturing costs.SOLUTION: A solar cell module 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a first light-transmissive member 11, a second light-transmissive member 12, an intermediate adhesive film 13 arranged between the first light-transmissive member 11 and the second light-transmissive member 12, and a photovoltaic cell 15 arranged between the first light-transmissive member 11 and the second light-transmissive member and sealed by the intermediate adhesive film 13. The intermediate adhesive film 13 is configured by laminating thermoplastic resins 21a and 21b arranged to sandwich the photovoltaic cell 15, and ionomers 22a and 22b arranged to sandwich the thermoplastic resins 21a and 21b.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a solar cell module. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, the use of solar cell modules equipped with photovoltaic power generation cells has been promoted in order to utilize natural energy. In particular, solar cell modules equipped with photovoltaic power generation cells inside laminated glass have been widely used.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique relating to a glass building material in which a plurality of photovoltaic cells are arranged between two glass plates. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2018 / 056286 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, multiple photovoltaic cells are sealed between two glass plates using an intermediate adhesive film (sealant). In such a solar cell module, the durability of the solar cell module can be improved by using an ionomer in the intermediate adhesive film.

[0006] However, since ionomers are expensive, there is a problem in that the use of ionomers in the intermediate adhesive film increases the manufacturing costs of the solar cell module.

[0007] In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a solar cell module that can reduce manufacturing costs and improve durability. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A solar cell module according to one aspect of the present invention is as follows.

[0009] [1] a first light-transmitting member; a second light-transmitting member disposed so as to face the first light-transmitting member; an intermediate adhesive film disposed between the first light-transmitting member and the second light-transmitting member; a photovoltaic cell disposed between the first light-transmitting member and the second light-transmitting member and sealed by the intermediate adhesive film; The intermediate adhesive film is thermoplastic resins arranged so as to sandwich the solar cell; and an ionomer arranged so as to sandwich the thermoplastic resin, Solar cell module.

[0010] [2] The softening temperature of the thermoplastic resin is 50°C or higher and 100°C or lower, The softening temperature of the ionomer is 80°C or higher and 95°C or lower. [1] The solar cell module according to [1].

[0011] [3] The solar cell module according to [1] or [2], wherein the thermoplastic resin is an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer or polyvinyl butyral.

[0012] [4] The solar cell module according to any one of [1] to [3], wherein the ionomer is an ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer.

[0013] [5] The solar cell module according to any one of [1] to [4], wherein the thickness of the ionomer is thinner than the thickness of the thermoplastic resin.

[0014] [6] The solar cell module according to any one of [1] to [5], wherein wiring arranged on the surface of the solar cell is covered with the thermoplastic resin.

[0015] [7] The thermoplastic resin is a first thermoplastic resin provided so as to be in contact with a first main surface of the photovoltaic cell; a second thermoplastic resin provided so as to be in contact with a second main surface of the solar cell opposite to the first main surface, The ionomer is a first ionomer provided so as to be in contact with the first thermoplastic resin; A second ionomer provided so as to be in contact with the second thermoplastic resin. The solar cell module according to any one of [1] to [6].

[0016] [8] The thickness of each of the first and second thermoplastic resins is greater than 200 μm, The thickness of the first and second ionomers is 200 μm or more and 500 μm or less, respectively. [7] The solar cell module according to [7].

[0017] [9] [7] The solar cell module according to [7], wherein the sum of the thicknesses of the first and second thermoplastic resins and the first and second ionomers is greater than the sum of the thickness of the solar cell and the thickness of wiring arranged on the surface of the solar cell.

[0018]

[10] [7] The solar cell module according to [7], wherein the thickness of the first and second thermoplastic resins is equal to or greater than the sum of the thickness of the solar cell and the thickness of the wiring arranged on the surface of the solar cell.

[0019]

[11] The thermoplastic resin further comprises a third thermoplastic resin provided so as to be in contact with the first ionomer; a fourth thermoplastic resin provided so as to be in contact with the second ionomer; the third thermoplastic resin is bonded to the first light-transmitting member, the fourth thermoplastic resin is bonded to the second light-transmitting member; The solar cell module according to any one of [7] to

[10] .

[0020]

[12] The solar cell module according to any one of [1] to

[11] , wherein the intermediate adhesive film composed of the thermoplastic resin and the ionomer has a total light transmittance of 85% or more and 95% or less.

[0021]

[13] The solar cell module according to any one of [1] to

[12] , wherein the ionomer has a total light transmittance of 90% or more and 95% or less.

[0022]

[14] The solar cell module according to any one of [1] to

[13] , wherein the thermoplastic resin has a total light transmittance of 90% or more and 95% or less.

[0023]

[15] The solar cell module according to any one of [1] to

[14] , wherein the intermediate adhesive film made of the thermoplastic resin and the ionomer has a haze of 1% or more and 10% or less.

[0024]

[16] The solar cell module according to any one of [1] to

[15] , wherein the haze of the ionomer is 0.5% or more and 5% or less.

[0025]

[17] The solar cell module according to any one of [1] to

[16] , wherein the thermoplastic resin has a haze of 1% or more and 10% or less. [Effects of the Invention]

[0026] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a solar cell module that can reduce manufacturing costs and improve durability. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] 1 is a front view showing a configuration example of a solar cell module according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a configuration example of a solar cell module according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the configuration of the solar cell module according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0028] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a front view showing an example of the configuration of a solar cell module according to an embodiment, Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in Fig. 1 showing the example of the configuration of a solar cell module according to an embodiment.

[0029] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a solar cell module 1 according to this embodiment includes a first light-transmitting member 11, a second light-transmitting member 12, an intermediate adhesive film 13, and a photovoltaic cell 15. As shown in FIG. 2, the first light-transmitting member 11 and the second light-transmitting member 12 are plate-like members having light transmissivity, and can typically be made using glass plates or a resin material. Hereinafter, this embodiment will be described with reference to a case where the first light-transmitting member 11 and the second light-transmitting member 12 are made of glass plates. Hereinafter, the first light-transmitting member 11 and the second light-transmitting member 12 will also be referred to as the first glass plate 11 and the second glass plate 12. The solar cell module 1 (laminated glass) according to this embodiment can be suitably used as a building material such as window glass for buildings.

[0030] The thickness of each of the first glass plate 11 and the second glass plate 12 is, for example, 2 mm or more and 12 mm or less. For example, chemically strengthened glass may be used as the first glass plate 11 and the second glass plate 12. When chemically strengthened glass is used, the first glass plate 11 and the second glass plate 12 can be made lighter while maintaining their strength. In the present embodiment, air-cooled tempered glass may be used as the first glass plate 11 and the second glass plate 12. For example, the first glass plate 11 is disposed on the outdoor side of the building, and the second glass plate 12 is disposed on the indoor side of the building.

[0031] 2, the intermediate adhesive film 13 is disposed between the first glass plate 11 and the second glass plate 12, and bonds the first glass plate 11 and the second glass plate 12. The configuration of the intermediate adhesive film 13 will be described later.

[0032] The photovoltaic cells 15 are disposed between the first glass plate 11 and the second glass plate 12, and are sealed by an intermediate adhesive film 13. As shown in Fig. 1, the photovoltaic cells 15 are arranged in an array in the horizontal and vertical directions when the solar cell module 1 is viewed in a plan view. Fig. 1 shows, as an example, a configuration in which a plurality of photovoltaic cells 15 are arranged in an array of four cells in the horizontal direction and six cells in the vertical direction (i.e., a 4 x 6 array). Note that the configuration shown in Fig. 1 is just an example, and the number of photovoltaic cells 15 to be arranged in the horizontal and vertical directions can be determined as desired.

[0033] As shown in Fig. 2, the photovoltaic cells 15 are connected to each other using wiring 16 (interconnectors). The wiring 16 is arranged on both sides of the photovoltaic cell 15. In the configuration example shown in Fig. 2, three wirings 16 are connected to the main surface of the photovoltaic cell 15 on the first glass plate 11 side, and three wirings 16 are connected to the main surface of the photovoltaic cell 15 on the second glass plate 12 side. Note that the configuration example shown in Fig. 2 is just one example, and the number and arrangement of the wirings 16 can be determined as desired.

[0034] The photovoltaic cells 15 can be configured using photovoltaic cells of silicon-based single crystal type, silicon-based polycrystalline type, amorphous silicon type, thin film silicon type, CIGS type, organic thin film type, dye-sensitized type, perovskite type, or the like. As shown in FIG. 1 , each photovoltaic cell 15 has a rectangular shape. For example, each photovoltaic cell 15 may have a square, rectangular, or circular shape. For example, a monofacial photovoltaic cell may be used as the photovoltaic cell 15. Alternatively, a bifacial photovoltaic cell may be used as the photovoltaic cell 15.

[0035] The thickness of the photovoltaic cell 15 is, for example, 200 μm or more and 400 μm or less. The thickness of the wiring 16 is, for example, 200 μm or more and 300 μm or less. Therefore, the thickness of the photovoltaic cell 15 including the wiring 16 is 600 μm or more and 1000 μm or less. Note that these thicknesses are merely examples, and the thicknesses of the photovoltaic cell 15 and the wiring 16 may be other thicknesses.

[0036] The intermediate adhesive film 13 will be described in detail below. As shown in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, the intermediate adhesive film 13 is constructed by laminating thermoplastic resins 21a and 21b arranged to sandwich the photovoltaic cell 15 and ionomers 22a and 22b arranged to sandwich the thermoplastic resins 21a and 21b.

[0037] Specifically, the thermoplastic resin includes a thermoplastic resin 21a provided so as to be in contact with the main surface (first main surface) of the photovoltaic cell 15 facing the first glass plate 11, and a thermoplastic resin 21b provided so as to be in contact with the main surface (second main surface opposite the first main surface) of the photovoltaic cell 15 facing the second glass plate 12. The ionomer includes an ionomer 22a provided so as to be in contact with the thermoplastic resin 21a, and an ionomer 22b provided so as to be in contact with the thermoplastic resin 21b. The ionomer 22a is arranged so as to be in contact with the first glass plate 11. The ionomer 22b is arranged so as to be in contact with the second glass plate 12.

[0038] In this embodiment, the second glass plate 12, ionomer 22b, thermoplastic resin 21b, photovoltaic cell 15, thermoplastic resin 21a, ionomer 22a, and first glass plate 11 are laminated in this order, and this laminate is then heated and pressurized to bond them together (i.e., laminated) to form the solar cell module 1. That is, when heated and pressurized, the intermediate adhesive film 13 melts and becomes one piece, and the first glass plate 11 and the second glass plate 12 are bonded together by the intermediate adhesive film 13. The photovoltaic cell 15 is also sealed between the first glass plate 11 and the second glass plate 12 by the intermediate adhesive film 13.

[0039] The thermoplastic resins 21a and 21b may be, for example, an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPO), polyvinyl butyral (PVB), ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), cycloolefin polymer (COP), polyurethane, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyolefin elastomer (POE), etc. Among these, it is particularly preferable to use an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPO) or polyvinyl butyral (PVB) as the thermoplastic resins 21a and 21b.

[0040] The ionomers 22a and 22b may be, for example, an ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer or an ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer.

[0041] In this embodiment, the softening temperature of the thermoplastic resins 21a and 21b is preferably 50° C. or higher and 100° C. or lower, and more preferably 50° C. or higher and 80° C. or lower. For example, the softening temperature of an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer (TPO) is 50° C. or higher and 70° C. or lower, and the softening temperature of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) is 50° C. or higher and 90° C. or lower. The softening temperature of an ionomer is preferably 80° C. or higher and 110° C. or lower, and more preferably 80° C. or higher and 100° C. or lower.

[0042] In the present embodiment, the thickness of the ionomers 22a and 22b is preferably thinner than the thickness of the thermoplastic resins 21a and 21b. With this configuration, the amounts of the ionomers 22a and 22b used can be reduced, and manufacturing costs can be kept down.

[0043] For example, the thickness of each of the thermoplastic resins 21a and 21b is preferably greater than 200 μm, more preferably 200 μm to 500 μm, and the thickness of each of the ionomers 22a and 22b is preferably 200 μm to 500 μm.

[0044] At this time, the total thickness of the ionomers 22a, 22b and the thermoplastic resins 21a, 21b is set to be greater than the total thickness of the photovoltaic cell 15 and the wiring 16 provided on both sides of the photovoltaic cell 15. In particular, in this embodiment, it is preferable to configure the thermoplastic resins 21a, 21b so that the thickness is equal to or greater than the total thickness of the photovoltaic cell 15 and the wiring 16 provided on the surface of the photovoltaic cell 15. As an example, the thicknesses of the intermediate adhesive film 13, photovoltaic cell 15, and wiring 16 of the solar cell module 1 according to this embodiment are as follows: ionomer 22a (200 μm) / thermoplastic resin 21a (400 μm) / photovoltaic cell 15+wiring 16 (total 800 μm) / thermoplastic resin 21b (400 μm) / ionomer 22b (200 μm).

[0045] In this embodiment, it is preferable to configure the wiring 16 arranged on the surface of the photovoltaic cell 15 so that it is covered with thermoplastic resins 21a and 21b. The thermoplastic resins 21a and 21b are softer materials than the ionomers 22a and 22b. Therefore, by configuring the wiring 16 of the photovoltaic cell 15 so that it is covered with the thermoplastic resins 21a and 21b, it is possible to reduce the force acting on the wiring 16 during lamination, and it is possible to prevent the photovoltaic cell 15 from cracking.

[0046] In this embodiment, the total light transmittance of the intermediate adhesive film 13 composed of the thermoplastic resins 21a, 21b and the ionomers 22a, 22b is preferably 85% or more and 95% or less. The total light transmittance of the ionomers 22a, 22b is preferably 90% or more and 95% or less. The total light transmittance of the thermoplastic resins 21a, 21b is preferably 90% or more and 95% or less.

[0047] In this embodiment, the haze of the intermediate adhesive film 13 composed of the thermoplastic resins 21a, 21b and the ionomers 22a, 22b is preferably 1% to 10%, more preferably 1% to 3%. The haze of the ionomers 22a, 22b is preferably 0.5% to 5%, more preferably 1% to 3%. The haze of the thermoplastic resins 21a, 21b is preferably 1% to 10%, more preferably 1% to 5%.

[0048] As described above, the solar cell module 1 according to this embodiment uses an intermediate adhesive film 13 in which thermoplastic resins 21a, 21b and ionomers 22a, 22b are laminated. Therefore, the use of ionomers 22a, 22b in the intermediate adhesive film 13 can improve the durability of the solar cell module. Furthermore, the use of thermoplastic resins 21a, 21b in addition to ionomers 22a, 22b in the intermediate adhesive film 13 can reduce the amounts of ionomers 22a, 22b used, thereby reducing the manufacturing costs of the solar cell module. Therefore, this embodiment can provide a solar cell module that can improve durability while reducing manufacturing costs.

[0049] In particular, in this embodiment, thermoplastic resins 21a and 21b are arranged to sandwich the photovoltaic cell, and ionomers 22a and 22b are arranged to sandwich the thermoplastic resins 21a and 21b. The thermoplastic resins 21a and 21b are softer than the ionomers 22a and 22b. Therefore, by configuring the photovoltaic cell 15 to be covered with the thermoplastic resins 21a and 21b, the force acting on the photovoltaic cell 15 during lamination can be reduced, cracking of the photovoltaic cell 15 can be suppressed, and the durability of the solar cell module 1 can be improved. In this case, it is preferable to set the softening temperatures of the thermoplastic resins 21a and 21b lower than the softening temperatures of the ionomers 22a and 22b. With this configuration, the thermoplastic resins 21a and 21b soften before the ionomers 22a and 22b, so the force acting on the photovoltaic cell 15 during lamination can be reduced, effectively suppressing cracking of the photovoltaic cell 15.

[0050] Next, another example of the configuration of the solar cell module according to the present embodiment will be described. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the configuration of the solar cell module according to the embodiment. In the solar cell module 2 according to the present embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, the intermediate adhesive film 14 is made of thermoplastic resins 21a and 21b, ionomers 22a and 22b, and thermoplastic resins 23a and 23b. The other configuration is the same as that of the solar cell module 1 shown in Figs. 1 and 2, so the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and redundant explanations will be omitted.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 3, the intermediate adhesive film 14 is constructed by laminating thermoplastic resins 21a and 21b arranged to sandwich the photovoltaic cell 15, ionomers 22a and 22b arranged to sandwich the thermoplastic resins 21a and 21b, and thermoplastic resins 23a and 23b arranged to sandwich the ionomers 22a and 22b.

[0052] In the configuration example shown in FIG. 3, a thermoplastic resin 23a is provided between the ionomer 22a and the first glass plate 11, and the thermoplastic resin 23a is bonded to the first glass plate 11. Similarly, a thermoplastic resin 23b is provided between the ionomer 22b and the second glass plate 12, and the thermoplastic resin 23b is bonded to the second glass plate 12. This strengthens the bond between the intermediate adhesive film 14 and the first and second glass plates 11 and 12. In the configuration example shown in FIG. 2, a primer may be provided between the ionomers 22a and 22b and the first and second glass plates 11 and 12. On the other hand, in the configuration shown in FIG. 3, the primer provided between the intermediate adhesive film 14 and the first and second glass plates 11 and 12 can be omitted.

[0053] The materials used for the thermoplastic resins 23a and 23b can be the same as those used for the thermoplastic resins 21a and 21b. The thickness of each of the thermoplastic resins 23a and 23b is preferably 200 μm or more and 500 μm or less, and more preferably 200 μm or more and 400 μm or less.

[0054] The present invention has been described above in accordance with the above-mentioned embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-mentioned embodiment, and naturally includes various modifications, alterations, and combinations that a person skilled in the art can make within the scope of the invention as defined in the claims of this application. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1, 2 Solar cell module 11 First glass plate (first light-transmitting member) 12 Second glass plate (second light-transmitting member) 13, 14 Intermediate adhesive film 15 Photovoltaic Cells 16 Wiring 21a, 21b Thermoplastic resin 22a, 22b ionomers 23a, 23b Thermoplastic resin

Claims

1. a first light-transmitting member; a second light-transmitting member disposed opposite the first light-transmitting member; an intermediate adhesive film disposed between the first light-transmitting member and the second light-transmitting member; a photovoltaic cell disposed between the first light-transmitting member and the second light-transmitting member and sealed by the intermediate adhesive film, The intermediate adhesive film is thermoplastic resins arranged so as to sandwich the solar cell; and an ionomer arranged so as to sandwich the thermoplastic resin, Solar cell module.

2. The softening temperature of the thermoplastic resin is 50°C or higher and 100°C or lower, The softening temperature of the ionomer is 80°C or higher and 95°C or lower. The solar cell module according to claim 1 .

3. 3. The solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic resin is an olefin-based thermoplastic elastomer or polyvinyl butyral.

4. 3. The solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein the ionomer is an ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer.

5. The solar cell module according to claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the ionomer is smaller than the thickness of the thermoplastic resin.

6. The solar cell module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein wiring arranged on the surface of the solar power generation cell is covered with the thermoplastic resin.

7. The thermoplastic resin is a first thermoplastic resin provided so as to be in contact with a first main surface of the solar power generation cell; a second thermoplastic resin provided so as to be in contact with a second main surface of the solar cell opposite to the first main surface, The ionomer is a first ionomer provided so as to be in contact with the first thermoplastic resin; A second ionomer provided so as to be in contact with the second thermoplastic resin. The solar cell module according to claim 1 or 2.

8. The thickness of each of the first and second thermoplastic resins is greater than 200 μm; The thickness of the first and second ionomers is 200 μm or more and 500 μm or less, respectively. The solar cell module according to claim 7 .

9. 8. The solar cell module according to claim 7, wherein a sum of thicknesses of the first and second thermoplastic resins and the first and second ionomers is greater than a sum of a thickness of the solar cell and a thickness of a wiring disposed on a surface of the solar cell.

10. 8. The solar cell module according to claim 7, wherein the thickness of the first and second thermoplastic resins is equal to or greater than the sum of the thickness of the solar cell and the thickness of wiring arranged on the surface of the solar cell.

11. The thermoplastic resin further comprises a third thermoplastic resin provided so as to be in contact with the first ionomer; a fourth thermoplastic resin provided so as to be in contact with the second ionomer; the third thermoplastic resin is bonded to the first light-transmitting member, the fourth thermoplastic resin is bonded to the second light-transmitting member; The solar cell module according to claim 7 .

12. 3. The solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate adhesive film made of the thermoplastic resin and the ionomer has a total light transmittance of 85% or more and 95% or less.

13. 3. The solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein the ionomer has a total light transmittance of 90% or more and 95% or less.

14. 3. The solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic resin has a total light transmittance of 90% or more and 95% or less.

15. 3. The solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein the intermediate adhesive film made of the thermoplastic resin and the ionomer has a haze of 1% or more and 10% or less.

16. The solar cell module according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ionomer has a haze of 0.5% or more and 5% or less.

17. 3. The solar cell module according to claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic resin has a haze of 1% or more and 10% or less.

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