Solar cell module

Abstract

To provide a solar cell module that can increase the moisture resistance.SOLUTION: A solar cell module 10 includes a solar cell 11, a sealing material 12 that seals the solar cell 11, a front surface protection member 13 disposed on a light incidence side with respect to the sealing material 12, and a back surface protection member 14 disposed on the opposite side of the light incidence side with respect to the sealing material 12. The sealing material 12 is held by the front surface protection member 13 and the back surface protection member 14 so as to be embedded inside the front surface protection member 13 and the back surface protection member 14, and is surrounded by a peripheral wall part 15 formed by the front surface protection member 13 and the back surface protection member 14. The peripheral wall part 15 is formed by a front surface protection member peripheral wall part 131 and a back surface protection member peripheral wall part 141 that can be fitted to each other in a light incidence direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] An example of such a conventional technical field is described in Patent Document 1. The solar cell module described in Patent Document 1 includes a front surface protective member, a back surface protective member, a frame-shaped dam member arranged between the front surface protective member and the back surface protective member, solar cells arranged inside the dam member, and a sealing material arranged inside the dam member and sealing the solar cells. In a solar cell module having such a structure, the dam member is used to prevent the sealing material from leaking out during the manufacturing of the solar cell module. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-135376 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the above-mentioned solar cell module does not sufficiently prevent water vapor from entering through the side surfaces of the solar cell module, and therefore there is a problem with the moisture resistance of the solar cell module.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve such technical problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a solar cell module that can improve moisture resistance. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The solar cell module of the present invention is a solar cell module comprising solar cells, a sealing material that seals the solar cells, a surface protection member that is arranged on the light incident side of the sealing material, and a back protection member that is arranged on the opposite side of the sealing material from the light incident side, wherein the sealing material is sandwiched between the surface protection member and the back protection member so as to be embedded inside the surface protection member and the back protection member, and is surrounded by a peripheral wall portion formed by the surface protection member and the back protection member, and the peripheral wall portion is formed by a surface protection member peripheral wall portion and a back protection member peripheral wall portion that can be fitted to each other in the light incident direction.

[0007] In the solar cell module according to the present invention, the encapsulant that encapsulates the solar cells is sandwiched between a front protective member and a back protective member and surrounded by a peripheral wall formed by the front protective member and the back protective member, the peripheral wall being formed by the front protective member peripheral wall and the back protective member peripheral wall that can fit together in the direction of light incidence. In this way, by using the peripheral wall to reduce the cross-sectional area of ​​the water vapor intrusion path, it is possible to suppress the intrusion of water vapor from the side of the encapsulant and reduce the amount of water vapor intrusion. As a result, it is possible to improve the moisture resistance of the solar cell module.

[0008] In the solar cell module according to the present invention, it is preferable that the peripheral wall of the front surface protection member and the peripheral wall of the back surface protection member each have an uneven mating surface facing each other, thereby lengthening the path for water vapor to penetrate via the mating surfaces and further reducing the amount of water vapor that penetrates.

[0009] In the solar cell module according to the present invention, it is preferable that the mating surfaces of the peripheral wall portion of the front surface protection member and the peripheral wall portion of the back surface protection member are bonded together. By bonding the mating surfaces together in this manner, it is possible to sufficiently prevent water vapor from entering through the mating surfaces, thereby further improving the moisture resistance of the solar cell module.

[0010] In the solar cell module according to the present invention, it is preferable that at least one of the front surface protective member and the back surface protective member has a sealant escape hole formed inside the peripheral wall near a side surface of the sealant facing the peripheral wall, for discharging the sealant to the outside of the solar cell module. In this way, the sealant can be discharged to the outside of the solar cell module through the sealant escape hole when the sealant is formed, thereby eliminating the problem of the sealant being unable to be discharged due to being surrounded by the peripheral wall. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, the moisture resistance of the solar cell module can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a solar cell module according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is an exploded schematic cross-sectional view showing a solar cell module according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 1A is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the intrusion of water vapor into a conventional solar cell module, and FIG. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating the intrusion of water vapor into a solar cell module of an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a solar cell module according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated explanations will be omitted. Furthermore, in the following description, unless otherwise specified, a "side surface" refers to an end surface along the light incident direction (in other words, an end surface parallel to the light incident direction) on the assumption that sunlight is incident perpendicularly to the solar cell module, and a "thickness" refers to a distance along the light incident direction.

[0014] Fig. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a solar cell module according to an embodiment, and Fig. 2 is an exploded schematic cross-sectional view showing a solar cell module according to an embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, a solar cell module 10 according to this embodiment has a flat plate shape and includes solar cells 11, a sealant 12 that seals the solar cells 11, a front surface protection member 13 arranged on the light incident side of the sealant 12, and a back surface protection member 14 arranged on the opposite side of the sealant 12 from the light incident side.

[0015] The solar cell 11 is not particularly limited, and may be a crystalline silicon solar cell, a perovskite solar cell, or an organic thin-film solar cell. In the case of a perovskite solar cell or an organic thin-film solar cell, a soft resin film can be used for the substrate, so that flexibility of the solar cell module 10 can be expected. The solar cell 11 may be one, or may be a plurality of electrically connected solar cells.

[0016] The encapsulant 12 seals the solar cells 11 to prevent deterioration of the solar cells 11 due to moisture and the like, and also to protect the solar cells 11 from impact. The encapsulant 12 is formed into a flat plate from a transparent resin material that transmits sunlight (for example, light transmittance of 90% or more). The encapsulant 12 is preferably formed from a resin material that is flexible enough to impart flexibility to the solar cell module 10, and that is chemically stable enough to suppress deterioration of the solar cell module 10. Examples of such resin materials include EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer resin), polyolefin, and PVB (polyvinyl butyral).

[0017] The surface protection member 13 is a member that protects the front surface side of the solar cell 11. The surface protection member 13 is roughly lid-shaped and has a flat surface protection member main body 132 and a surface protection member peripheral wall 131 that protrudes from the peripheral edge of the surface protection member main body 132. The surface protection member main body 132 and the surface protection member peripheral wall 131 are integrally formed.

[0018] The surface protection member 13 is formed from a transparent material (e.g., a light transmittance of 90% or more) that has barrier properties against water and gas and scratch resistance, and that transmits sunlight. Examples of the surface protection member 13 include glass plates and resin sheets such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, polyimide, polycarbonate, and polytetrafluoroethylene. Furthermore, when flexibility is to be imparted to the solar cell module 10, the surface protection member 13 may be formed from a resin film.

[0019] The back surface protection member 14 is a member that protects the back surface side of the solar cell 11. The back surface protection member 14 is generally lid-shaped and has a flat back surface protection member main body 142 and a back surface protection member peripheral wall 141 that protrudes from the peripheral edge of the back surface protection member main body 142. The back surface protection member main body 142 and the back surface protection member peripheral wall 141 are integrally formed. The back surface protection member peripheral wall 141 is capable of fitting with the front surface protection member peripheral wall 131 in the light incident direction.

[0020] The back surface protective member 14 is formed of, for example, a material that has water and gas barrier properties and scratch resistance. The back surface protective member 14 may be formed of a transparent material or a non-transparent material. The back surface protective member 14 is preferably formed of a light-reflecting material to increase the amount of light incident on the solar cell 11. Examples of the back surface protective member 14 include a glass plate, a resin sheet such as polyethylene terephthalate, polyamide, polyimide, polycarbonate, or polytetrafluoroethylene, and a metal plate. When flexibility is to be imparted to the solar cell module 10, the back surface protective member 14 may also be formed of a resin film.

[0021] Here, the circumstances leading to the present invention will be explained.

[0022] In the case of perovskite solar cells and organic thin-film solar cells, the functional layer is made of organic material, so it is vulnerable to moisture, and the photoelectric potential induction layer is prone to deterioration due to moisture. To prevent such deterioration, it is generally required to have a water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of 10 -6 g / (m 2 It is recommended to encapsulate solar cells with an encapsulant with a water vapor permeability of 2g / (m) or less. However, commonly used encapsulating resins such as EVA and polyolefin have a water vapor permeability of approximately 2g / (m) 2 day), which is significantly greater than the recommended value above, so there is a problem in that the intrusion of water vapor cannot be suppressed.

[0023] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the inventors of the present application have focused on the fact that the amount of intrusion of water vapor can be considered similar to the amount of current in an electric circuit, and have conducted extensive research as follows.

[0024] The electric current satisfies a relationship in which it is proportional to the conductivity, cross-sectional area, and the inverse of the path length of the path through which it passes. By applying this relationship to the penetration of water vapor and regarding the conductivity as having been converted into the water vapor transmission rate per unit length (WVTR_N), the amount of water vapor that penetrates (in other words, the amount of water vapor that penetrates) Q can be calculated using equation (1). Q = (WVTR_N) × S / L (1) In equation (1), Q is the amount of water vapor that penetrates, WVTR_N is the water vapor transmission rate per unit length, S is the cross-sectional area of ​​the path through which water vapor penetrates (in other words, penetrates), and L is the length of the path through which water vapor penetrates (in other words, penetrates).

[0025] From equation (1), it can be seen that the factors that affect the amount of water vapor penetration Q are the water vapor transmission rate per unit length (WVTR_N) (hereinafter simply referred to as "WVTR_N"), the cross-sectional area S of the path through which water vapor penetrates (hereinafter simply referred to as "cross-sectional area S"), and the length of the path through which water vapor penetrates (hereinafter simply referred to as "path length L"). Therefore, the inventors of the present application have devised a method for reducing the amount of water vapor penetration based on these three factors. More specifically, by using a material with a small WVTR_N, reducing the cross-sectional area S, and increasing the path length L, the amount of water vapor penetration Q is reduced.

[0026] One way to reduce the cross-sectional area S is to reduce the thickness of the sealing material 12 that seals the solar cell 11. However, reducing the thickness of the sealing material 12 impairs its ability to protect the solar cell 11 from impact, leading to reduced reliability. Therefore, a method is needed to reduce the cross-sectional area S while maintaining the thickness of the sealing material 12. Therefore, assuming that water vapor will infiltrate from the side of the sealing material 12, for example, a protruding front surface protection member peripheral wall portion is provided on the front surface protection member 13 and a protruding back surface protection member peripheral wall portion is provided on the back surface protection member 14, and these protective member peripheral walls are provided with mating surfaces that face each other in the light incidence direction. By fitting these protective members together to surround the side of the sealing material 12, the thickness of the sealing material 12 can be ensured and the cross-sectional area of ​​the intrusion path for water vapor can be reduced.

[0027] In addition, in order to increase the path length L, for example, the mating surfaces of the peripheral wall portion of the front surface protection member and the mating surfaces of the peripheral wall portion of the back surface protection member that face each other can be made uneven, thereby making the path length L longer than when the mating surfaces are straight.

[0028] On the other hand, in order to reduce the WVTR_N, for example, a material with a small WVTR_N, such as butyl rubber, is used as the adhesive for bonding the mating surfaces together, instead of the same resin material as the sealing material 12.

[0029] In order to achieve the above, in solar cell module 10 of this embodiment, encapsulant 12 is sandwiched between front surface protective member 13 and back surface protective member 14 so as to be embedded inside front surface protective member 13 and back surface protective member 14, and is surrounded by peripheral wall 15 formed by front surface protective member 13 and back surface protective member 14. That is, encapsulant 12 is sandwiched between front surface protective member 13 and back surface protective member 14 in the light incident direction, and is surrounded by peripheral wall 15 made of front surface protective member 13 and back surface protective member 14 in a direction perpendicular to the light incident direction. Peripheral wall 15 is formed by front surface protective member peripheral wall 131 and back surface protective member peripheral wall 141 that can fit together in the light incident direction.

[0030] 2, the front surface protection member peripheral wall 131 and the back surface protection member peripheral wall 141 have respective mating surfaces with projections and recesses that face each other. Specifically, the front surface protection member peripheral wall 131 has a mating surface 131a that faces the back surface protection member peripheral wall 141, and the back surface protection member peripheral wall 141 has a mating surface 141a that faces the front surface protection member peripheral wall 131. The mating surfaces 131a and 141a are formed with projections and recesses so that they can fit together.

[0031] Although not shown, the mating surface 131a of the front surface protection member peripheral wall 131 and the mating surface 141a of the back surface protection member peripheral wall 141 are preferably bonded together with an adhesive. The adhesive is preferably a plastic resin that has a small WVTR_N and is capable of adhering to the material (e.g., glass) of the front surface protection member 13 and the back surface protection member 14. An example of such a material is butyl rubber.

[0032] Furthermore, in the back surface protection member 14, a sealing material escape hole 16 for discharging the sealing material 12 to the outside of the solar cell module 10 is provided inside the peripheral wall portion 15 and near the side surface 12a of the sealing material 12 facing the peripheral wall portion 15. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the sealing material escape hole 16 is provided in a position of the back surface protection member main body 142 close to the side surface 12a of the sealing material 12, and is a through hole that penetrates the back surface protection member main body 142.

[0033] The sealing material escape holes 16 are provided to solve the problem of being unable to carry out the laminating process for forming the sealing material 12, which is caused by surrounding the side surfaces of the sealing material 12 with the peripheral wall portion 15. The laminating process is a process for filling the sealing material 12 between the front surface protective member 13 and the back surface protective member 14 without any gaps such as air bubbles, and is a process in which a gel-like dissolved sealing material is filled into the space between the front surface protective member 13 and the back surface protective member 14, and a vacuum is drawn while applying pressure to eliminate air bubbles, and then the surface protective member 13 and the sealing material 12 are bonded together, the back surface protective member 14 and the sealing material 12 are bonded together, and the sealing material 12 and the solar cell 11 are bonded together.

[0034] In the case of a conventional solar cell module (see FIG. 3(a)), by applying pressure and evacuating, the gel-like encapsulant material can be discharged from the side surface of the front surface protective member 13 or the back surface protective member 14, but by providing the peripheral wall portion 15 as in this embodiment, this discharge becomes impossible. To avoid this, a encapsulant escape hole 16 is provided in the back surface protective member 14 near the side surface 12a of the encapsulant 12, and the encapsulant material is discharged through the encapsulant escape hole 16 during the lamination process, thereby ensuring an escape route for the encapsulant material.

[0035] The reason for providing the sealant relief holes 16 near the side surface 12a of the sealant 12 is to make the path for water vapor to penetrate into the solar cell 11 via the sealant relief holes 16 as long as possible. The diameter and number of the sealant relief holes 16 are not particularly limited, but preferably satisfy the minimum conditions required for carrying out the lamination process. In other words, the conditions for carrying out the lamination process depend on the viscosity of the sealant material, the process temperature of the lamination process, the degree of vacuum, etc., and so the diameter and number of the sealant relief holes 16 must be determined taking all of these into consideration.

[0036] Furthermore, in order to prevent water vapor from entering through the sealant escape hole 16, it is preferable to fill the sealant escape hole 16 with a material having a small WVTR_N after removing the sealant remaining in the sealant escape hole 16 after the lamination process, for example. Since it is not required to fill the sealant escape hole 16 with a plastic material, it is preferable to fill the sealant escape hole 16 with a material having a WVTR_N of 10 or less, such as an oxide such as glass or a metal. -8 mm·g / (m 2 Materials that are suitable for use in the manufacturing process can be applied.

[0037] In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the sealant relief holes 16 are provided in the back surface protection member 14, but the sealant relief holes 16 may be provided in the front surface protection member 13, or may be provided in both the front surface protection member 13 and the back surface protection member 14. That is, it is sufficient to provide the sealant relief holes 16 in at least one of the front surface protection member 13 and the back surface protection member 14.

[0038] The effects of the solar cell module 10 according to this embodiment will be further described below in comparison with the conventional solar cell module 100 with reference to FIG.

[0039] 3(a), similar to the solar cell module 10 of this embodiment, the conventional solar cell module 100 includes solar cells 11, a sealing material 12 that seals the solar cells 11, a front surface protection member 13 arranged on the light incident side of the sealing material 12, and a back surface protection member 14 arranged on the opposite side of the sealing material 12 from the light incident side, but does not include the peripheral wall portion 15 as in this embodiment. That is, in the conventional solar cell module 100, the side surface 12a of the sealing material 12 is exposed.

[0040] As mentioned above, in general, to prevent deterioration due to moisture, a water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of 10 -6 g / (m 2 It is recommended that solar cells be sealed with a sealant with a water vapor permeation capacity of 10 ... 2 In this case, the water vapor penetration capacity Q_ideal is Q_ideal=10 -6 g / (m 2 day)×area=10 -6 g / (m 2 day)×1×2m 2 =2×10 -6 The result is g / day.

[0041] Next, for the conventional solar cell module 100, the actual amount of water vapor penetration is estimated by calculating the amount of water vapor penetration Q_plane from the front surface protective member 13 or the back surface protective member 14, and the amount of water vapor penetration Q_side from the exposed side surface 12a of the sealing material 12, as follows.

[0042] First, the front surface protection member 13 and the back surface protection member 14 are made of glass (WVTR_N of glass=1×10 -8 mm·g / (m 2day), and the area of ​​the front surface protection member 13 or the back surface protection member 14 is 1 × 2 m 2 When the thickness of the front surface protection member 13 or the back surface protection member 14 is 2 mm, the amount of water vapor penetration Q_plane from the front surface protection member 13 or the back surface protection member 14 is calculated based on the above formula (1) as follows: Q_plane=1×10 -8 mm·g / (m 2 day)×1×2m 2 / 2mm=1×10 -8 g / day result. This Q_plane(1×10 -8 g / day) is the water vapor penetration allowance Q_ideal(2×10 -6 g / day), it can be determined that the solar cell 11 will not be deteriorated.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 3(a), the sealing material 12 is exposed on the side surface of the solar cell module 100, so the amount of water vapor penetration Q_side from the exposed side surface 12a of the sealing material 12 is calculated. For example, the sealing material 12 is assumed to be a rectangular plate, and the WVTR_N of the sealing material 12 (a polyolefin-based material classified as having a low water vapor transmission rate) is set to 2 mm g / (m 2 day), the resin sealing width (i.e., the penetration path length) L is 30 mm, and the thickness of the sealing material 12 is approximately 1 mm, then the total area S of the four exposed side surfaces is 1 × 10 -3 ×(1×2+2×2)=6×10 -3 m 2 This becomes:

[0044] The amount of water vapor entering through the exposed side surface 12a, Q_side, is calculated using the above formula (1): Q_side=2×6×10 -3 / 30=4×10 -4 g / day. The calculated Q_side is calculated by multiplying the above water vapor penetration capacity Q_ideal (2×10 -6 g / day), it can be determined that there is a high possibility that the solar cell 11 will be deteriorated.

[0045] From the above results, it is clear that in order to reduce the amount of water vapor that penetrates, it is most important to reduce the amount of water vapor that penetrates from the exposed side surface 12a of the sealing material 12.

[0046] Meanwhile, in this embodiment, the sealing material 12 that seals the solar cell 11 is sandwiched between the front surface protection member 13 and the back surface protection member 14, and is surrounded by a peripheral wall 15 formed by the front surface protection member 13 and the back surface protection member 14. The peripheral wall 15 is formed by the front surface protection member peripheral wall 131 and the back surface protection member peripheral wall 141 that can fit together in the light incident direction. In this way, the cross-sectional area S of the water vapor intrusion path is reduced using the peripheral wall 15, thereby suppressing the intrusion of water vapor from the side surface 12a of the sealing material 12 and reducing the amount of water vapor intrusion Q. As a result, the moisture resistance of the solar cell module 10 can be improved.

[0047] As described above, the amount of water vapor penetration Q can be reduced by reducing the cross-sectional area S of the path through which water vapor penetrates. For this reason, it is conceivable to reduce the cross-sectional area S through which water vapor penetrates from the side surface 12a of the sealing material 12, for example, by shortening the distance between the front surface protection member 13 and the back surface protection member 14, i.e., by reducing the thickness of the sealing material 12. However, if the thickness of the sealing material 12 is reduced, it will lose its ability to protect the solar cell 11 from impact, leading to a decrease in reliability.

[0048] Therefore, in this embodiment, the substantially lid-shaped front surface protection member 13 and back surface protection member 14 are fitted together in the light incident direction, so that the front surface protection member main body 132 and back surface protection member main body 142 secure a space to house the sealing material 12, while the peripheral wall portion 15 formed by the fitted front surface protection member peripheral wall portion 131 and back surface protection member peripheral wall portion 141 surrounds the side surface of the sealing material 12. In this way, the thickness of the sealing material 12 for protecting the solar cell 11 can be secured, while the cross-sectional area S of the path through which water vapor penetrates can be reduced.

[0049] In this way, the thickness of the path through which water vapor penetrates can be reduced from the conventional thickness of around 1 mm to 0.1 mm or less, thereby reducing the cross-sectional area S and reducing the amount of water vapor penetrating Q_side to 1 / 10 or less of the above value.

[0050] Furthermore, the front surface protection member peripheral wall portion 131 and the back surface protection member peripheral wall portion 141 have uneven mating surfaces 131a and 141a facing each other, which lengthens the path for water vapor to penetrate via the mating surfaces 131a and 141a, thereby making it possible to further reduce the amount of water vapor penetrating Q.

[0051] In other words, by making the mating surface 131a of the front surface protection member peripheral wall portion 131 and the mating surface 141a of the back surface protection member peripheral wall portion 141 uneven, the length L of the water vapor penetration path can be made longer compared to when these mating surfaces are straight, thereby reducing the amount of water vapor penetration.

[0052] For example, as shown in Figure 3(b), by making the peripheral wall portion 15 uneven at 10 equal intervals along a direction perpendicular to the light incidence direction, the length L of the penetration path can be increased to three times that of the conventional method, making it possible to reduce the amount of water vapor penetration Q_side to one-third of the above value.

[0053] Furthermore, mating surface 131a of front surface protection member peripheral wall portion 131 and mating surface 141a of back surface protection member peripheral wall portion 141 are bonded with an adhesive. By bonding the mating surfaces together in this manner, it is possible to further prevent water vapor from entering through mating surfaces 131a, 141a, and therefore further improve the moisture resistance of solar cell module 10.

[0054] In particular, the amount of water vapor penetration can be reduced by using a material with a small WVTR_N, such as butyl rubber, for the adhesive. Butyl rubber has a WVTR_N that is about 1 / 10 of that of the material used for the sealant 12, so it is possible to reduce the amount of water vapor penetration Q_side to 1 / 10 or less of that when the sealant material is used.

[0055] Furthermore, in the back surface protection member 14, a sealant escape hole 16 is provided inside the peripheral wall portion 15 near the side surface 12a of the sealant 12 facing the peripheral wall portion 15, for discharging the sealant 12 to the outside of the solar cell module 10. In this way, by discharging the sealant 12 to the outside of the solar cell module 10 through the sealant escape hole 16 when the sealant 12 is formed, it is possible to solve the problem of the sealant 12 not being able to be discharged due to being surrounded by the peripheral wall portion 15. In other words, by discharging the gelled sealant material to the outside through the sealant escape hole 16 during the lamination step of forming the sealant 12, it is possible to prevent damage to the front surface protection member 13 or the back surface protection member 14 caused by the sealant material having no escape route.

[0056] According to the solar cell module 10 of this embodiment configured as described above, the cross-sectional area S is about 1 / 10, the path length L is about 3 times larger, and the WVTR_N is about 1 / 10 compared to the conventional solar cell module 100 shown in FIG. 3(a), so the amount of water vapor penetration Q_side is reduced to about 1 / 300, or 1.33×10 -6 g / day. This result is the water vapor intrusion allowance (2×10 -6 g / day) or less, it is clear that this is useful for preventing deterioration of the solar cell 11 due to moisture.

[0057] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention as set forth in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 10: solar cell module, 11: solar cell, 12: sealing material, 12a: side surface, 13: surface protection member, 14: back surface protection member, 15: peripheral wall portion, 16: sealing material relief hole, 131: surface protection member peripheral wall portion, 132: surface protection member main body portion, 141: back surface protection member peripheral wall portion, 131a, 141a: fitting surface, 142: back surface protection member main body portion

Claims

1. A solar cell module comprising: solar cells; a sealing material that seals the solar cells; a surface protection member that is arranged on a light incident side of the sealing material; and a back protection member that is arranged on an opposite side of the sealing material from the light incident side, the sealing material is sandwiched between the front surface protection member and the rear surface protection member so as to be embedded inside the front surface protection member and the rear surface protection member, and is surrounded by a peripheral wall portion formed by the front surface protection member and the rear surface protection member, The solar cell module is characterized in that the peripheral wall portion is formed by a front surface protection member peripheral wall portion and a back surface protection member peripheral wall portion that are fitable with each other in the light incident direction.

2. The solar cell module according to claim 1 , wherein the peripheral wall of the front surface protection member and the peripheral wall of the back surface protection member each have uneven fitting surfaces that face each other.

3. The solar cell module according to claim 2 , wherein the fitting surfaces of the peripheral wall portion of the front surface protection member and the fitting surfaces of the peripheral wall portion of the back surface protection member are bonded together.

4. A solar cell module as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein at least one of the surface protection member and the back protection member has a sealant escape hole provided inside the peripheral wall portion near the side of the sealant facing the peripheral wall portion, for discharging the sealant to the outside of the solar cell module.

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