JP2000036612A - Solar cell module - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a flexible solar cell module excellent in weather-proof. SOLUTION: Related to a flexible solar cell module wherein a solar cell element 11 is vacuum-sealed with a sheet-like resin and a sheet-like bond while the edge part of a sealing part is inserted in a slit part of a frame member 18, the frame member 18 comprises a flexible joint member 17 which, penetrating a part of the edge part in the inside of the slit, clamps the edge part.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a solar cell module. More specifically, the present invention relates to a solar cell module having flexibility.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Solar cells, which are photoelectric conversion elements for converting sunlight into electric energy, are widely used as power supplies for consumer appliances such as calculators and watches, and are used as substitutes for so-called fossil fuels such as oil and coal. It is attracting attention as a technology that can be practically used as power for electricity.

[0003] A solar cell is a technique utilizing a diffusion potential generated at a pn junction of a semiconductor. A semiconductor such as silicon absorbs sunlight, and generates photo carriers of electrons and holes. The drift is caused by the internal electric field generated by the diffusion potential at the junction, and the drift is taken out. Examples of the material for the solar cell include tetrahedral amorphous semiconductors such as single crystal silicon, polycrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, amorphous silicon germanium, and amorphous SiC; II-VI group such as CdS and Cu ₂ S; III
-V group compound semiconductors and the like. In particular, thin-film solar cells using amorphous semiconductors are promising because of their advantages such as the ability to produce large-area films, smaller thicknesses, and the ability to be deposited on any substrate material compared to single-crystal solar cells. Have been watched.

[0004] Amorphous silicon solar cells, crystalline thin-film solar cells, and the like use a thin-film solar cell element formed on a flexible substrate such as stainless steel to provide a thin, light, and more flexible solar cell. It is made in the form of a battery module and is in practical use. In addition, the surface is coated with a coating material for weather resistance and protection from mechanical damage.

[0005] Solar cells are sometimes used indoors by utilizing the light of fluorescent lamps. In particular, solar cells used outdoors are subject to various conditions such as high temperature, low temperature, high humidity, wind and rain. Sufficient durability against the influence from the external environment is required. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, the solar cell module is often roughly divided into a portion 412 in which the solar cell element is sealed (hereinafter, referred to as a solar cell sealing portion) 412 and a frame portion 308. I have. The solar cell sealing portion sandwiches the solar cell element 301 and the output wiring from the light receiving surface side and the back surface side thereof using the surface protection material 304 and the adhesive 303 and the back surface protection material 305 and the adhesive 303, respectively, to transfer heat. In addition, vacuum sealing is often used.

[0006] As a method of installing a solar cell, a method is generally used in which a frame is provided on the ground or on the roof or roof of a building to support the above-mentioned solar cell module, or to be attached to a wall surface of a building. When installing on a roof of a building, in addition to this method, there is a method of installing a roof material and a solar cell as an integral structure on a roof without using a gantry.

Further, in the case of a solar cell having flexibility, in order to allow the solar cell element to be installed on a non-planar part such as a surface where the solar cell element is not destroyed, a back surface protective member 302 is provided on the solar cell sealing part. For example, a structure in which a sheet-like foam material of closed cells such as urethane resin and polyethylene resin is bonded is often used.

By the way, especially in a solar cell module in which a solar cell element is vacuum-laminated using a sheet-like transparent resin as a surface protection material, the solar cell module is bonded to the surface protection material at a portion outside the solar cell element. In many cases, a portion where the agent and the back surface protective material are adhered is cut in accordance with a predetermined outer shape. Therefore, these ends are treated in some way, and stress from external environment, moisture, moisture (water vapor)
Therefore, it is necessary to protect the solar cell element and the electric circuit part inside the solar cell sealing part.

On the other hand, a solar cell module having a structure in which a strong backing material made of, for example, metal or steel is used as a back surface protection material for a solar cell sealing portion, and a strong frame material made of, for example, aluminum is used as a frame material. In the case of, a slit-like groove is previously provided in a frame material surrounding the four end sides of the solar cell sealing portion, and the end of the solar cell sealing portion is fitted into the slit-like groove, and the gap between them is formed. Is filled with a filler such as silicone rubber.

On the other hand, in a conventional solar cell module requiring flexibility, it is impossible to use the above-mentioned strong back surface protection material and strong frame material. Therefore, as described above, a material having flexibility is used as the material of the back surface protective material. Here, a method of protecting the edge of the solar cell sealing portion is a problem.
It is assumed that a flexible frame material such as rubber, plastic, or polycarbonate is used as the frame material. In this case, in order to effectively protect the solar cell sealing portion, it is necessary to bond the solar cell sealing portion and the frame material by some method. The back side of the solar cell sealing portion has a high degree of freedom in material selection, and is relatively easy to adhere to the frame material. However, the surface side of the solar cell sealing portion is very difficult to adhere to the frame material for the following reasons.

For example, a fluorine resin or the like is often used as a surface protection material for a solar cell sealed portion in which a solar cell element using a conductive substrate such as a stainless steel substrate is sealed. Few adhesives or fillers have sufficient adhesive ability. The reason why the fluororesin or the like is used as the surface protective material is that the fluororesin or the like has high light transmittance and high durability against stress from the external environment. Further, the surface protective material is required to be hardly dusty and to have good water repellency, and fluororesin satisfies this requirement, but this also means that there is no suitable adhesive. ing. Fluororesin and EVA
In this case, since the bonding strength of the resin is insufficient as it is, corona discharge treatment is often performed on the entire surface of the bonding surface of the fluororesin to increase the bonding strength. However, when corona discharge is applied to the entire surface, the above-mentioned non-dust adhesion and water repellency are reduced. Further, performing the corona discharge treatment only on the end portions requires an improvement in the accuracy of the sealing operation and increases the cost of the treatment.

For the above reasons, an adhesive is applied to the edge and the end of the flexible solar cell sealing portion, and the flexible frame material and the solar cell sealing portion are bonded to each other to form an end. Sufficient siege protection is difficult to achieve.

As another example, an adhesive such as EVA at the edge of the solar cell sealing portion is melted and driven out from the end portion, and the surface protective material (resin) and the back surface protective material (resin) at that portion are heated. Pressure bonding method. If this method is possible, the solar cell sealing portion will have its own edge protection function, and the need for the frame material to protect the sealing portion is reduced. The present inventors have tried the above-described heat pressure bonding at various temperatures using Dupont's Tefzel or the like as a surface adhesive and using nylon or the like as a back surface protective material as a trial experiment, but all were sufficient. The adhesive strength has not yet been obtained.

That is, in a solar cell module requiring flexibility, it is very difficult at present to effectively protect the end of the solar cell sealing portion.

[0015]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above drawbacks, a technical object of the present invention is to vacuum seal a solar cell element with at least a sheet-like resin and a sheet-like adhesive to seal the solar cell element. In the solar cell module having a structure in which the edge of the part is inserted into the slit part of the frame material and has flexibility, the end of the solar cell sealing part is deformed or damaged by external stress, or through the end The purpose of the present invention is to prevent water vapor from entering the solar cell element and prevent the solar cell element from being damaged by water vapor that has entered from the outside and the electric wiring from being short-circuited to the internal wiring of the solar cell module.

[0016]

According to the solar cell module of the present invention, a solar cell element having a semiconductor layer formed on a substrate is vacuum-sealed with at least a sheet resin and a sheet adhesive. In the solar cell module having flexibility, an edge of the sealed portion is inserted into a slit portion of a frame material, the frame material penetrates a part of the edge portion inside the slit to pinch the edge portion It is characterized by having a flexible joining member.

[0017]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a solar cell module according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, in the solar cell module, a solar cell element formed by forming a semiconductor layer on a substrate was vacuum-sealed with at least a sheet-like resin and a sheet-like adhesive to seal the solar cell element. In a solar cell module having flexibility, in which an edge of a portion is inserted into a slit portion of a frame material, the frame material includes a joining member that penetrates a part of the edge portion inside the slit and sandwiches the edge portion. It is characterized by having.

By using the solar cell module having such a structure, the frame material is prevented from being detached from the above-mentioned solar cell sealing portion, and water vapor invades through the end of the solar cell sealing portion to prevent the solar cell module from coming off. It is possible to prevent the solar cell element from reaching the battery element and prevent a failure of the solar cell element due to water vapor that has entered from the outside and a failure due to an electric short circuit of the internal wiring of the solar cell module.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view conceptually showing the structure of an amorphous solar cell module. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 31 denotes an amorphous solar cell element; 32, a back surface protection member made of a foam material;
3 is an adhesive layer, 34 is a surface protection material, 35 is a back surface protection material,
36 is a filler, and 37 is a joining member between the sealing portion and the frame member 38. The frame member 38 has a slit-like groove that engages with the joining member. The sunlight enters from above the figure.

The structure of the amorphous solar cell element is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 2, n, i, p, n, i, and p-type amorphous silicon thin films are sequentially stacked on a stainless steel substrate from the substrate side by using an RF glow discharge method, and then oxidized as a transparent electrode. Indium and tin are deposited and finally silver paste is printed as a grid electrode, which is serialized.

As described above, in the solar cell module of the present invention, the edge of the solar cell sealing portion 312 penetrates a part of the solar cell sealing portion 312 from the front and back sides, and the sealing portion 312 is After the filling material 36 is filled in the slit portion of the frame material 38, the end of the solar cell sealing portion is inserted and adhered to the frame material, and further foamed on the back surface of the solar cell sealing portion 312. The back protection member 32 made of a material is adhered with an adhesive. In the figure, wiring and output terminals of the solar cell element are omitted. The dimensions and shape of the slit-shaped groove do not cause deformation or damage to the end of the solar cell sealing part when the solar cell sealing part is inserted and after a long period of time, and are suitable for the gap between the groove and the end. It is desirable that it is easy to fill the filling material 36 of a suitable material.

As an example, as shown in FIG. 1, the depth of the groove is longer than the length of the insertion portion at the end of the solar cell sealing portion, and it is desirable that the groove be of a size and shape capable of filling the portion with a filler. The size and shape are not limited to these. It is preferable that the groove is formed without interruption over the entire length of the long side and the short side of the end portion of the solar cell element sealing portion.

The material of the foam back surface protection member 32 is desirably one having sufficient durability against the external environment, that is, sufficient water resistance, heat resistance, and ultraviolet resistance. For example, closed cell urethane foam in which polyethylene is adhered to the non-adhesive surface is exemplified, but not limited thereto. The material of the adhesive layer 33 is, for example, EVA, but is not limited thereto.

The material of the surface protective material 34 is, for example, fluororesin, but is not limited to this. As described above, the case where sealing is performed by vacuum lamination using a sheet-like fluororesin has been described. In addition, for example, a liquid-state fluororesin is used, and the surface protective material 34 is formed by applying the same. You may.

As the material of the back surface protection member 35, a material in which an adhesive capable of securely bonding to the foamed back surface protection member 32 is present, for example, a sheet-like nylon is suitable, but is not limited thereto.

The material of the filler 36 includes, for example, silicone resin, butyl rubber and the like, but is not limited thereto.

[0028]

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Examples, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these Examples.

Example 1 In Example 1, as shown in FIG. 1, an amorphous silicon solar cell element 31 was vacuum-laminated with a surface protection material 34, a back surface protection material 35, and an adhesive layer 33 to form a solar cell. A module is manufactured, and a cycle test of a high temperature, high humidity state and a low temperature state is repeated, and the detachment state of the frame material, the failure of the solar cell element due to the invasion of water vapor from the outside, and the electrical short circuit of the entire solar cell module An experiment was conducted to examine the failure frequency due to

As the amorphous solar cell 31 used in Example 1, an n, i, p, n, i, p-type amorphous silicon thin film was sequentially formed on a stainless steel substrate from the substrate side by RF.
After lamination using a glow discharge method, indium tin oxide was deposited as a transparent electrode, and finally, a silver paste was printed in a grid shape as a current collecting electrode to form a unit of about 30 cm × 9 cm, and 13 steps were serialized. Was used. FIG. 8 is a conceptual cross-sectional view showing the structure of the amorphous solar cell 31.

As the adhesive layer 33, a sheet-like E
VA is used, and a sheet-shaped Tefzel (trade name of Dupont) having a thickness of 100 μm is used as the surface protection material 34.
As the back surface protection material 35, a sheet was used in which an aluminum foil was sandwiched between both sides by a white Tedlar (trade name of Dupont).

The above materials are laminated in this order from the bottom in the order of the back surface protective material 35, the adhesive layer 33, the amorphous silicon solar cell element 31, the adhesive layer 33, and the surface protective material 34, and are heated to 100 ° C. using a vacuum laminator. Was laminated. This was cut into a rectangle 4 cm outside each of the outer and outer dimensions of the solar cell element.

The joining member between the solar cell sealing portion and the frame member was manufactured by integrally forming a relatively flexible plastic having the shape shown in FIGS. First, a vertical 138 is provided on the front side of the solar cell sealing portion 312 in the longitudinal direction.
An object 37a having a shape in which columnar protrusions having a diameter of 5.0 mm and a height of 1.5 mm were arranged at intervals of 2 cm on one surface of a plate-like portion having a size of 1.0 cm, a width of 1.0 cm and a thickness of about 1 mm was produced. . On the back side in the longitudinal direction of the solar cell sealing portion, one surface of a plate-shaped portion having a length of 138 cm, a width of 0.5 cm, and a thickness of about 1 mm has a diameter of about 1 mm at a location corresponding to the location of the above-mentioned columnar projection. 5.0
An object 37b in which cylindrical concave portions having a depth of 0.5 mm and a depth of 0.5 mm were arranged at intervals of 2 cm was produced. In the lateral direction of the solar cell sealing portion, a joining member having a length of 37 cm was formed in the same shape as the pair of joining members described above. The longitudinal end of the joining member was formed at an angle of 45 degrees.

Next, of the edges of the solar cell sealing portion, when the long side of the above-mentioned joining member is aligned with the outermost end of the sealing portion, the portion corresponding to the columnar projection and the hole is formed. A hole with a diameter of 3 mm penetrates the front and back surfaces. A commercially available water-based adhesive is applied to the opposing surface and the cylindrical convex and concave portions of the joining member, and after the convex portion of the joining member has penetrated from the surface side into the hole at the edge of the solar cell sealing portion. After being press-fitted so as to be inserted into the hole of the joining member on the back side, it was dried for about 2 days.

The frame member 38 has a shape shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 and is made by integrally molding neoprene rubber which is relatively flexible. First, on the front side in the longitudinal direction of the solar cell sealing portion, a product having a shape in which slit-like grooves were arranged in a plate-like portion having a length of 138 cm, a width of 1.0 cm, and a thickness of about 5 mm was prepared. The shape of the slit-like groove is 6.0 mm deep and about 3.0 m thick
m. In the short direction of the solar cell sealing portion, a joining member having the same shape as above and a length of 37 cm was produced.

Only the innermost portion of the slit-shaped groove of the frame material prepared in advance as described above is filled with a butyl rubber filler over its entire length, and the remaining portion is coated with an aqueous adhesive. It was covered with a bonding member adhered to the edge of the solar cell sealing portion, and was dried for about 2 days after being pressed.

The foam back surface protection member 32 has a thickness of 3
1.38m x 0.35mm closed cell urethane foam
m cut into a rectangular shape. A commercially available water-based adhesive was applied to one side of the foamed back surface protection member 32 and the entire back surface (that is, the Tedlar surface) of the solar cell sealing portion, and the two were adhered to each other and dried for about 2 days.

Finally, output terminals were attached to the sealed portion of the solar cell, and a waterproof terminal box for protecting them was installed on the front side of the module. With the above procedure, the solar cell module of the present invention was completed. This was made into 10 modules.

Comparative Example 1 As a conventional example, a solar cell module in which a rubber frame material was adhered to a solar cell sealing portion with an adhesive was manufactured.

First, the solar cell sealing portion was prepared by using the same solar cell element as described above, vacuum-sealing it with the same material, method, and procedure, and having the same dimensions.

The frame material was formed by integrally molding a relatively flexible neoprene rubber having the shape shown in FIG. First, a solar cell encapsulation portion was fabricated on the front side in the longitudinal direction, in which slit-like grooves were arranged in a plate-like portion having a length of 138 cm, a width of 1.0 cm, and a thickness of about 3 mm. The shape of the slit-like groove has a depth of 6.0 mm and a thickness of about 1.
0 mm. In the lateral direction of the solar cell sealing portion, a frame material having the same shape as above and a length of 37 cm was produced.

After filling the butyl rubber filler over the entire length of only the innermost part of the slit-shaped grooves of the frame material prepared in advance as described above, and applying the aqueous adhesive to the remaining parts, After covering over the edge of the sealed portion of the solar cell and pressing, it was dried for about 2 days.

As the foam material back surface protection member 32, a commercially available closed cell urethane foam material having a thickness of 3 mm similar to that described above and cut into a rectangle of 1.38 m × 0.35 m was used. A commercially available water-based adhesive was applied to one side of the foamed back surface protection member 32 and the entire back surface (that is, the Tedlar surface) of the solar cell sealing portion, and the two were adhered to each other and dried for about 2 days.

Finally, output terminals were attached to the sealed portion of the solar cell, and a waterproof terminal box for protecting them was installed on the front side of the module. With the above procedure, the solar cell module of the conventional example was completed. This was made into 10 modules.

Using the solar cell module manufactured as described above, detachment of the frame material, peeling of the end of the sealed part of the solar cell, and occurrence of failure of the solar cell module caused by water vapor penetrating through the end. An experiment was performed to determine the frequency.

That is, a repeated cycle test of a high temperature / high humidity state and a low temperature state was performed on ten solar cell modules manufactured as described above, and the failure occurrence rate after the test was examined. The above environment was reproduced using a commercially available environmental tester.

The environmental test apparatus has a chamber with inner dimensions of 1.5 m in width, 1.0 m in height and 1.0 m in depth. The temperature in the chamber is -40 to + 200 ° C., and the relative humidity is 0 to
It can be controlled to 100%. This time, in order to reproduce the outdoor use condition of the solar cell module, UL1
The temperature and humidity in the chamber of the environmental tester were controlled according to the pattern described in 703. That is,
First, the temperature is lowered from 20 ° C. to −40 ° C. at a rate of about 110 ° C./hour, and then kept constant for about 40 minutes. next,
Increase the temperature to + 85 ° C at a rate of about 110 ° C / hour, 8
After maintaining the temperature at 5 ° C. and a relative humidity of 85% for 4 hours and 10 minutes, the temperature is lowered to 20 ° C. at a rate of about 110 ° C./hour. This is a pattern of one cycle, and this was continuously performed for 60 cycles.

Although not described in UL 1703, it is necessary to irradiate the solar cell module with light in order to reproduce the actual use situation of the solar cell module outdoors. However, it is generally known that an amorphous silicon solar cell is deteriorated by light, and irradiating light deteriorates the electrical performance of the solar cell module. Therefore, this time, in order to distinguish between the effect of the photodeterioration on the solar cell module and the effect of the intrusion of water vapor from the outside, which is a problem of the present invention, on the solar cell module, light is applied to the solar cell module in the chamber. No irradiation. The output terminals were kept open and waterproofed by a terminal box.

In the chamber of the above-mentioned environmental test apparatus, ten solar cell modules thus produced were placed horizontally on top of each other at a distance of about 10 cm so that the light-receiving surface faced upward.

After the above test was performed for 60 cycles, these solar cell modules were taken out of the environmental test apparatus, and water droplets and moisture adhering to the surface were wiped off with a cloth. The electric performance of each solar cell module was measured using a commercially available large-scale pseudo sunlight generation (SPIRE, 240A).
The simulated sunlight irradiated was AM1.5 GROBAL, intensity 1
It was 00 mW / cm ² and measured at room temperature.

As a result, in the module according to the first embodiment, four or ten frames in which the detachment of the frame material occurred, one in which the shunt resistance was reduced to 1/10 or less, or one in which the frame material was electrically short-circuited. In the module of Comparative Example 1, the number was 9 out of 10 and the effect of the present invention was proved.

(Example 2) In Example 2, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, a step extending over the entire length in the longitudinal direction was provided on one side of the joining member between the solar cell sealing portion and the frame material. A shape corresponding to a step corresponding to the step of the member, that is, a projection having an L-shaped cross section was provided at the entrance end of the slit-shaped groove.

In Example 2, ten solar cell modules were produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the joining member and the frame material were structured as shown in FIG.

The joining member 107 between the solar cell sealing portion and the frame member was manufactured by integrally molding a relatively flexible plastic in the shape shown in FIGS. First, on the front side in the longitudinal direction of the solar cell sealing portion, 138 cm in length,
A columnar convex part with a diameter of 5.0 mm and a height of 1.5 mm is arranged at intervals of 2 cm on one surface of a plate-like part having a width of 1.0 cm and a thickness of about 3 mm, and only one side of the surface opposite to the convex part A 107a having a step of about 2 mm was prepared. On the back side in the longitudinal direction of the solar cell sealing portion, a vertical 138c
m, 0.5 cm in width, on one surface of a plate-like portion having a thickness of about 1 mm, a columnar section having a diameter of about 5.0 mm and a depth of 0.5 mm at a location corresponding to the location of the above-mentioned cylindrical projection. The concaves were formed at intervals of 2 cm, and a step 107b having a shape having a step of about 2 mm on only one side of the surface opposite to the concaves was produced. In the lateral direction of the solar cell sealing portion, a joining member having a length of 37 cm was formed in the same shape as the pair of joining members described above. The longitudinal end of the joining member was formed at an angle of 45 degrees.

Next, in the same manner as in Example 1, when the long side of the above-mentioned joining member is aligned with the outermost end of the sealing portion among the edges of the sealing portion of the solar cell, a cylindrical projection and A hole having a diameter of 5 mm penetrating the front and back surfaces was formed in a portion corresponding to the hole. After the opposing surface and the columnar protrusion of the joining member are passed through the hole of the sealing member edge from the front side, and inserted into the hole of the joining member on the back side and pressed, then dried for about 2 days I let it.

The frame member 108 was formed by integrally molding neoprene rubber having a shape shown in FIG. First, on the front side in the longitudinal direction of the solar cell sealing portion,
An object having a shape in which a groove having a cross section as shown in FIG. 5 was arranged in a plate-like portion having a size of 38 cm, a width of 1.0 cm and a thickness of about 9 mm was produced. The shape of the slit-like groove had a depth of about 2 mm and a thickness of about 3 mm at the outer portion, and a depth of about 6.0 mm and a thickness of about 3.0 mm at the depth. In the short direction of the solar cell sealing portion, the shape is the same as the above, and the vertical direction is 37.
cm.

The frame material 10 prepared in advance as described above
Only the innermost part of the 8 slit-shaped grooves is filled with a butyl rubber filler over its entire length, and the remaining part is coated with a water-based adhesive and then adhered to the edge of the solar cell sealing part. After being fitted into the joined member and crimped, it was dried for about 2 days.

As the backing member 102 for the foam material, the same member as in the first embodiment is used, and is adhered to the back surface of the sealed portion of the solar cell.
Dry for about 2 days. Finally, an output terminal and a waterproof terminal box were installed on the module at the solar cell sealing portion.

An evaluation test similar to that of Example 1 was performed on the solar cell module manufactured as described above.

As a result, in the module according to the second embodiment, three or ten frames in which the detachment of the frame material occurred, one in which the shunt resistance was reduced to 1/10 or less, or one in which the frame material was electrically short-circuited. Yes, the effect of the present invention was demonstrated.

(Embodiment 3) In Embodiment 3, a step extending over the entire length in the longitudinal direction is provided on one side of the joining member between the solar cell sealing portion and the frame member in the present invention, while the frame member corresponds to the step of the joining member. A convex portion having an L-shaped cross section was provided at a portion to be formed, that is, an entrance end of the slit-shaped groove, and a concave portion was provided on the inner surface of the slit-shaped groove of the frame material, and a convex portion was provided on a joining member corresponding thereto. Shaped.

In Example 3, ten solar cell modules were produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the frame material shown in FIG. 6 was used and the structure of the solar cell module was changed to that shown in FIG.

The joining member between the solar cell sealing portion and the frame member was made by integrally molding a relatively flexible plastic in the shape shown in FIG. First, the front side in the longitudinal direction of the solar cell sealing portion is 138 cm long, 1.0 cm wide, and about 3 m thick
5.0mm in diameter on one surface of 1.5m high plate
m are arranged at intervals of 2 cm, and a step of about 2 mm is provided only on one side of the surface opposite to the convex portion, and a cross section as shown in FIG. 6 is provided on the surface opposite to the convex portion. Is vertical 1
A 207a having a shape in which a protrusion having a width of 1 mm and a width of 1 mm was formed over the entire length in the longitudinal direction was produced. On the back side in the longitudinal direction of the solar cell sealing portion, one surface of a plate-shaped portion having a length of 138 cm, a width of 0.5 cm, and a thickness of about 1 mm has a diameter of about 1 mm at a location corresponding to the location of the above-mentioned columnar projection. 5.0mm, depth 0.5
mm cylindrical recesses are arranged at 2 cm intervals,
A step of about 2 mm is provided only on one side of the surface opposite to the recess,
On the surface opposite to the concave portion, 207b having a shape in which a convex portion having a cross section of 1 mm long and 1 mm wide was provided over the entire length in the longitudinal direction as shown in FIG. 6 was produced. In the short direction of the solar cell sealing portion, in the same shape as the pair of joining members described above,
A joining member having a length of 37 cm was produced. The longitudinal end of the joining member was formed at an angle of 45 degrees.

Next, in the same manner as in Example 1, when the long side of the above-mentioned joining member is aligned with the outermost end of the sealing portion, the columnar projection and A hole having a diameter of 3 mm penetrating the front and back surfaces was formed in a portion corresponding to the hole. A commercially available water-based adhesive is applied to the opposing surface and the cylindrical convex and concave portions of the joining member, and after the convex portion of the joining member has penetrated from the surface side into the hole at the edge of the solar cell sealing portion. After being thickly inserted so as to be inserted into the hole of the joining member on the back side, about 2
Let dry for days.

The frame member 208 was formed by integrally molding a relatively flexible neoprene rubber having the shape shown in FIG. First, a product having a shape in which a groove having a cross section as shown in FIG. 6 was arranged in a plate-like portion having a length of 138 cm, a width of 1.0 cm, and a thickness of about 11 mm on the front side in the longitudinal direction of the solar cell sealing portion was prepared. The shape of the slit-like groove had a depth of about 2 mm and a thickness of about 3 mm at the outer portion, and a depth of about 6.0 mm and a thickness of about 3.0 mm at the depth. Further, a concave portion, that is, a groove was provided inside the slit-shaped groove at a position corresponding to the convex portion of the connection member. In the short direction of the solar cell sealing portion, a joining member having the same shape as above and a length of 37 cm was produced.

Only the innermost part of the slit-shaped groove of the frame material prepared in advance as described above is filled with a butyl rubber filler over its entire length, and the remaining part is coated with an aqueous adhesive. Then, it was fitted into a bonding member adhered to the edge of the solar cell sealing portion, and was pressed for about 2 days and dried.

The same evaluation test as in Example 1 was performed on the solar cell module manufactured as described above.

As a result, in the module according to the third embodiment, four or ten frames in which the detachment of the frame material occurred, one in which the shunt resistance was reduced to 1/10 or less, or one in which the short was electrically short-circuited. Yes, the effect of the present invention was demonstrated.

[0069]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The frame material is prevented from being detached from the solar cell sealing portion, and the water vapor is prevented from entering the solar cell element through the end portion of the solar cell sealing portion, and is prevented from entering the solar cell element by the water vapor entering from the outside. It is possible to provide a solar cell module capable of preventing a failure of a battery element and a failure due to an electric short circuit of an internal wiring of the solar cell module.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a solar cell module of Example 1.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a solar cell module of Example 2.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view showing a solar cell module according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a relationship between a solar cell sealing portion and a joining member of a frame member according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a relationship between a solar cell sealing portion and a joining member of a frame member according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a relationship between a solar cell sealing portion and a joining member of a frame member according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of a conventional flexible solar cell module.

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a layer configuration of an amorphous solar cell element.

[Explanation of symbols]

31, 101, 201, 301 Amorphous silicon solar cell element, 32, 102, 202, 302 Back protective member made of foam material, 33, 103, 203, 303 Adhesive layer, 34, 104, 204, 304 Surface protective material , 35, 105, 205, 305 Back surface protective material, 36, 106, 206, 306 Filler material, 37, 107, 207 Joining member between solar cell sealing portion and frame material, 38, 108, 208, 308 Frame material, 112 , 212, 312, 412 Solar cell sealing portion, 401 stainless steel substrate, 402 n-type amorphous silicon thin film, 403 i-type amorphous silicon thin film, 404 p-type amorphous silicon thin film, 405 n-type amorphous 406 i-type amorphous silicon thin film, 407 p-type amorphous silicon thin film, 408 anti-reflection layer, 409 Collector electrode.

[Procedure amendment]

[Submission date] July 26, 1999 (1999.7.2)
6)

[Procedure amendment 1]

[Document name to be amended] Statement

[Correction target item name] Full text

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

[Document Name] Statement

[Title of the Invention] Solar cell module

[Claims]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a solar cell module. More specifically, the present invention relates to a solar cell module having flexibility.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Solar cells, which are photoelectric conversion elements for converting sunlight into electric energy, are widely used as power supplies for consumer appliances such as calculators and watches, and are used as substitutes for so-called fossil fuels such as oil and coal. It is attracting attention as a technology that can be practically used as power for electricity.

[0003] A solar cell is a technique utilizing a diffusion potential generated at a pn junction of a semiconductor. A semiconductor such as silicon absorbs sunlight, and generates photo carriers of electrons and holes. The drift is caused by the internal electric field generated by the diffusion potential at the junction, and the drift is taken out. Examples of the material for the solar cell include tetrahedral amorphous semiconductors such as single crystal silicon, polycrystalline silicon, amorphous silicon, amorphous silicon germanium, and amorphous SiC; II-VI group such as CdS and Cu ₂ S; III
-V group compound semiconductors and the like. In particular, thin-film solar cells using amorphous semiconductors are promising because of their advantages such as the ability to produce large-area films, smaller thicknesses, and the ability to be deposited on any substrate material compared to single-crystal solar cells. Have been watched.

[0004] Amorphous silicon solar cells, crystalline thin-film solar cells, and the like use a thin-film solar cell element formed on a flexible substrate such as stainless steel to provide a thin, light, and more flexible solar cell. It is made in the form of a battery module and is in practical use. In addition, the surface is coated with a coating material for weather resistance and protection from mechanical damage.

[0005] Solar cells are sometimes used indoors by utilizing the light of fluorescent lamps. In particular, solar cells used outdoors are subject to various conditions such as high temperature, low temperature, high humidity, wind and rain. Sufficient durability against the influence from the external environment is required. Therefore, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, the solar cell module is generally roughly divided into a portion 90 (hereinafter, referred to as a solar cell sealing portion) in which a solar cell element is sealed and a frame portion 9.
And 8. The solar cell sealing portion sandwiches the solar cell element 91 and the output wiring from the light receiving surface side and the back surface side thereof using the surface protection material 94 and the adhesive 93 and the back surface protection material 95 and the adhesive 93, respectively, to thereby generate heat. In addition, vacuum sealing is often used.

[0006] As a method of installing a solar cell, a method is generally used in which a frame is provided on the ground or on the roof or roof of a building to support the above-mentioned solar cell module, or to be attached to a wall surface of a building. When installing on a roof of a building, in addition to this method, there is a method of installing a roof material and a solar cell as an integral structure on a roof without using a gantry.

Further, in the case of a solar cell having flexibility, in order to be able to install the solar cell element on a non-planar part such as a surface where the solar cell element is not destroyed, a back surface protective member 92 is provided on the solar cell sealing part. For example, in many cases, a structure in which a sheet-like foam material of closed cells such as urethane resin and polyethylene resin is bonded is used.

By the way, especially in a solar cell module in which a solar cell element is vacuum-laminated using a sheet-like transparent resin as a surface protection material, the solar cell module is bonded to the surface protection material at a portion outside the solar cell element. In many cases, a portion where the agent and the back surface protective material are adhered is cut in accordance with a predetermined outer shape. Therefore, these ends are treated in some way, and stress from external environment, moisture, moisture (water vapor)
Therefore, it is necessary to protect the solar cell element and the electric circuit part inside the solar cell sealing part.

On the other hand, a solar cell module having a structure in which a strong backing material made of, for example, metal or steel is used as a back surface protection material for a solar cell sealing portion, and a strong frame material made of, for example, aluminum is used as a frame material. In the case of, a slit-like groove is previously provided in a frame material surrounding the four end sides of the solar cell sealing portion, and the end of the solar cell sealing portion is fitted into the slit-like groove, and the gap between them is formed. Is filled with a filler material 96 such as silicone rubber.

On the other hand, in a conventional solar cell module requiring flexibility, it is impossible to use the above-mentioned strong back surface protection material and strong frame material. Therefore, as described above, a material having flexibility is used as the material of the back surface protective material. Here, a method of protecting the edge of the solar cell sealing portion is a problem.
It is assumed that a flexible frame material such as rubber, plastic, or polycarbonate is used as the frame material. In this case, in order to effectively protect the solar cell sealing portion, it is necessary to bond the solar cell sealing portion and the frame material by some method. The back side of the solar cell sealing portion has a high degree of freedom in material selection, and is relatively easy to adhere to the frame material. However, the surface side of the solar cell sealing portion is very difficult to adhere to the frame material for the following reasons.

For example, a fluorine resin or the like is often used as a surface protection material for a solar cell sealed portion in which a solar cell element using a conductive substrate such as a stainless steel substrate is sealed. Few adhesives or fillers have sufficient adhesive ability. The reason why the fluororesin or the like is used as the surface protective material is that the fluororesin or the like has high light transmittance and high durability against stress from the external environment. Further, the surface protective material is required to be hardly dusty and to have good water repellency, and fluororesin satisfies this requirement, but this also means that there is no suitable adhesive. ing. Fluororesin and EVA
In this case, since the bonding strength of the resin is insufficient as it is, corona discharge treatment is often performed on the entire surface of the bonding surface of the fluororesin to increase the bonding strength. However, when corona discharge is applied to the entire surface, the above-mentioned non-dust adhesion and water repellency are reduced. Further, performing the corona discharge treatment only on the end portions requires an improvement in the accuracy of the sealing operation and increases the cost of the treatment.

For the above reasons, an adhesive is applied to the edge and the end of the flexible solar cell sealing portion, and the flexible frame material and the solar cell sealing portion are bonded to each other to form an end. Sufficient siege protection is difficult to achieve.

As another example, an adhesive such as EVA at the edge of the solar cell sealing portion is melted and driven out from the end portion, and the surface protective material (resin) and the back surface protective material (resin) at that portion are heated. Pressure bonding method. If this method is possible, the solar cell sealing portion will have its own edge protection function, and the need for the frame material to protect the sealing portion is reduced. The present inventors tried the above-mentioned heat pressure bonding at various temperatures by using Dupont's Tefzel or the like as a surface adhesive and using nylon or the like as a back surface protective material as a trial experiment. It has not been able to obtain a sufficient adhesive strength.

That is, in a solar cell module requiring flexibility, it is very difficult at present to effectively protect the end of the solar cell sealing portion.

[0015]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above drawbacks, a technical object of the present invention is to vacuum seal a solar cell element with at least a sheet-like resin and a sheet-like adhesive to seal the solar cell element. In the solar cell module having a structure in which the edge of the part is inserted into the slit part of the frame material and has flexibility, the end of the solar cell sealing part is deformed or damaged by external stress, or through the end The purpose of the present invention is to prevent water vapor from entering the solar cell element and prevent the solar cell element from being damaged by water vapor that has entered from the outside and the electric wiring from being short-circuited to the internal wiring of the solar cell module.

[0016]

According to the solar cell module of the present invention, a solar cell element having a semiconductor layer formed on a substrate is vacuum-sealed with at least a sheet resin and a sheet adhesive. In the solar cell module having flexibility, an edge of the sealed portion is inserted into a slit portion of a frame material, the frame material penetrates a part of the edge portion inside the slit to pinch the edge portion It is characterized by having a flexible joining member.

[0017]

Next, an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

FIG. 1 shows an example of a solar cell module according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, in the solar cell module, a solar cell element formed by forming a semiconductor layer on a substrate was vacuum-sealed with at least a sheet-like resin and a sheet-like adhesive to seal the solar cell element. In a flexible solar cell module in which an edge of a portion is inserted into a slit portion of a frame member, the frame member penetrates a part of the edge portion inside the slit, and a joining member that sandwiches the edge portion It is characterized by having.

By using the solar cell module having such a configuration, the frame material is prevented from being detached from the above-mentioned solar cell sealing portion, and water vapor invades through the end of the solar cell sealing portion. It is possible to prevent the solar cell element from reaching the solar cell element, and to prevent a failure of the solar cell element due to water vapor invading from the outside and a failure due to an electric short circuit of the internal wiring of the solar cell module.

FIG. 1 is a sectional view conceptually showing the structure of an amorphous solar cell module. In FIG. 1, 11 is an amorphous solar cell element, 12 is a back surface protection member made of a foam material, 1
3 is an adhesive layer, 14 is a surface protection material, 15 is a back surface protection material,
16 is a filler, and 17 is a joining member between the sealing portion and the frame member 18. The frame 18 has a slit-like groove that engages with the joining member. The sunlight enters from above in FIG.

FIG. 7 shows a configuration of an amorphous solar cell element, for example. In FIG. 7, 41 is a stainless steel substrate, 4
2 is an n-type amorphous silicon thin film, 43 is an i-type amorphous silicon thin film, 44 is a p-type amorphous silicon thin film, 45 is an n-type amorphous silicon thin film, 46 is an i-type amorphous silicon thin film, 4
7 is a p-type amorphous silicon thin film, 48 is an antireflection layer, 49
Is a collecting electrode. In the amorphous solar cell element of FIG. 7, n, n are sequentially placed on a stainless steel substrate 41 from the substrate side.
i, p, n, i, p-type amorphous silicon thin films 42, 43,
44, 45, 46, and 47 are laminated by using the RF glow discharge method, indium tin oxide is vapor-deposited as a transparent electrode, and finally a silver paste is printed as a grid electrode, which is serialized.

As described above, in the solar cell module of the present invention, the edge of the solar cell sealing portion 10 penetrates a part of the solar cell sealing portion 10 from the front and back sides, and the sealing portion 10 is Of the frame material 1
After the filling material 16 is filled in the slit portion 8, the end of the solar cell sealing portion 10 is inserted and adhered to the frame material, and the back surface protection member 12 made of a foam material is adhered to the back surface of the solar cell sealing portion 10. It is configured by sticking with an agent. In FIG. 1, wiring and output terminals of the solar cell element are omitted. The dimensions and shape of the slit groove
Filling the gap between the groove and the end with a filler 16 of an appropriate material without causing deformation or damage of the end of the solar cell sealing portion at the time of inserting the solar cell sealing portion and after a long period of time. It is desirable that it be easy.

As an example, as shown in FIG. 1, it is desirable that the depth of the groove is longer than the length of the insertion portion at the end of the solar cell sealing portion, and that the size and shape allow the portion to be filled with a filler. The size and shape of are not limited to the above. Also,
The groove is desirably formed without interruption over the entire length of the long side and the short side of the end portion of the solar cell element sealing portion.

It is desirable that the material of the back surface protection member 12 made of a foam material has sufficient durability to the external environment, that is, sufficient water resistance, heat resistance and ultraviolet resistance. For example, closed cell urethane foam in which polyethylene is adhered to the non-adhesive surface is exemplified, but not limited thereto. Also, the adhesive layer 1
The material of No. 3 is, for example, EVA, but is not limited thereto.

The material of the surface protective material 14 is, for example, fluororesin, but is not limited to this. that's all,
Although the case where sealing is performed by vacuum lamination using a sheet-like fluororesin has been described, besides this, for example,
The surface protective material 14 may be formed by applying and applying a liquid fluororesin.

The material of the back surface protective material 15 is suitably a material having an adhesive capable of securely bonding to the foamed back surface protective member 12, for example, a sheet-like nylon, but is not limited thereto.

The material of the filler 16 includes, for example, silicone resin and butyl rubber, but is not limited thereto.

[0028]

EXAMPLES Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to Examples, but it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to these Examples.

Example 1 In Example 1, as shown in FIG. 1, an amorphous silicon solar cell element 11 was vacuum-laminated with a surface protection material 14, a back surface protection material 15, and an adhesive layer 13 to form a solar cell. The module is manufactured and subjected to repeated cycle tests of high temperature, high humidity and low temperature conditions. An experiment was conducted to investigate the failure frequency due to

As the amorphous solar cell 11 used in Example 1, an n, i, p, n, i, p-type amorphous silicon thin film was sequentially formed on a stainless steel substrate from the substrate side by RF.
After lamination using a glow discharge method, indium tin oxide was deposited as a transparent electrode, and finally, a silver paste was printed in a grid shape as a current collecting electrode to form a unit of about 30 cm × 9 cm, and 13 steps were serialized. Was used. FIG. 7 is a conceptual sectional view showing the structure of the amorphous solar cell 11.

A sheet-like EVA is used as the adhesive layer 13, a 100 μm-thick sheet-like Tefzel (trade name of Dupont) is used as the surface protective material 14, and aluminum is used as the back surface protective material 15. A sheet in which the foil was sandwiched between white tedlars (trade name of Dupont) from both sides was used.

The above-mentioned materials are laminated from the bottom in the order of the back surface protective material 15, the adhesive layer 13, the amorphous silicon solar cell element 11, the adhesive layer 13, and the surface protective material 14, and are laminated at 100 ° C. using a vacuum laminator. Was laminated. This was cut into a rectangle 4 cm outside each of the outer and outer dimensions of the solar cell element.

The joining member between the solar cell sealing portion and the frame member was manufactured by integrally forming a relatively flexible plastic having the shape shown in FIGS. First, a vertical 138c is provided on the front side in the longitudinal direction of the solar cell sealing portion 10.
m, width 1.0 cm, thickness about 1 mm, and one surface of a plate-like part having two columnar protrusions 5.0 mm in diameter and 1.5 mm in height.
The objects 17a having a shape arranged at an interval of cm were produced. On the back side in the longitudinal direction of the solar cell sealing portion, one surface of a plate-shaped portion having a length of 138 cm, a width of 0.5 cm, and a thickness of about 1 mm has a diameter of about 1 mm at a location corresponding to the location of the above-mentioned columnar projection. 5.0
An object 17b having a cylindrical shape having a depth of 0.5 mm and a depth of 0.5 mm was arranged at intervals of 2 cm. In the lateral direction of the solar cell sealing portion, a joining member having a length of 37 cm was formed in the same shape as the pair of joining members described above. The longitudinal end of the joining member was formed at an angle of 45 degrees.

Next, of the edges of the solar cell sealing portion, when the long side of the above-mentioned joining member is aligned with the outermost end of the sealing portion, the portion corresponding to the columnar projection and the hole is formed. A hole with a diameter of 3 mm penetrates the front and back surfaces. A commercially available aqueous adhesive was applied to the opposing surface and the columnar convex and concave portions of the joining member, and the convex portion of the joining member penetrated from the surface side to the hole at the edge of the solar cell sealing portion. Then, after being pressure-bonded so as to be inserted into the hole of the joining member on the back side, it was dried for about 2 days.

The frame member 18 was formed by integrally molding neoprene rubber having a shape shown in FIGS. First, on the front side in the longitudinal direction of the solar cell sealing portion, a product having a shape in which a slit-like groove was arranged in a plate-like portion having a length of 138 cm, a width of 1.0 cm, and a thickness of about 5 mm was produced. The shape of the slit-like groove was 6.0 mm in depth and about 3.0 mm in thickness. In the short direction of the solar cell sealing portion, a joining member having the same shape as above and a length of 37 cm was produced.

Only the innermost portion of the slit-shaped groove of the frame material prepared in advance as described above is filled with a butyl rubber filler over its entire length, and the remaining portion is coated with an aqueous adhesive. It was covered with a bonding member adhered to the edge of the solar cell sealing portion, and was dried for about 2 days after being pressed.

The foam back surface protection member 12 has a thickness of 3
1.38m x 0.35mm closed cell urethane foam
m cut into a rectangular shape. A commercially available water-based adhesive was applied to one surface of the foamed back surface protection member 12 and the entire back surface (that is, the Tedlar surface) of the solar cell sealing portion, and both were adhered and dried for about 2 days.

Finally, output terminals were attached to the solar cell sealing portion, and a waterproof terminal box for protecting them was set on the front side of the module. With the above procedure, the solar cell module of the present invention was completed. This was made into 10 modules.

Comparative Example 1 As a conventional example, a solar cell module in which a rubber frame material was adhered to a solar cell sealing portion with an adhesive was manufactured.

First, a solar cell sealing portion was prepared by using the same solar cell element as described above, vacuum-sealing it with the same material, method, and procedure, and having the same dimensions.

The frame material was made by integrally molding a relatively flexible neoprene rubber having the shape shown in FIG. First, on the front side in the longitudinal direction of the sealed portion of the solar cell, a shape was prepared in which a slit-shaped groove was arranged in a plate-shaped portion having a length of 138 cm, a width of 1.0 cm, and a thickness of about 3 mm. The shape of the slit-like groove was 6.0 mm in depth and about 1.0 mm in thickness. In the lateral direction of the solar cell sealing portion, a frame material having the same shape as above and a length of 37 cm was produced.

After filling the butyl rubber filler over the entire length of only the innermost part of the slit-shaped grooves of the frame material prepared in advance as described above, and applying the aqueous adhesive to the remaining parts, After covering over the edge of the sealed portion of the solar cell and pressing, it was dried for about 2 days.

As the foamed material back surface protection member 12, a commercially available closed cell urethane foamed material having a thickness of 3 mm similar to that described above and cut into a 1.38 mx 0.35 m rectangle was used. A commercially available water-based adhesive was applied to one surface of the foamed back surface protection member 12 and the entire back surface (that is, the Tedlar surface) of the solar cell sealing portion, and both were adhered and dried for about 2 days.

Finally, output terminals were attached to the sealed portion of the solar cell, and a waterproof terminal box for protecting them was set on the front side of the module. With the above procedure, the solar cell module of the conventional example was completed. This was made into 10 modules.

Using the solar cell module manufactured as described above, detachment of the frame material, peeling of the end of the sealed part of the solar cell, and occurrence of failure of the solar cell module caused by water vapor penetrating through the end. An experiment was performed to determine the frequency.

That is, a repeated cycle test of a high temperature / high humidity state and a low temperature state was performed on ten solar cell modules manufactured as described above, and the failure occurrence rate after the test was examined. The above environment was reproduced using a commercially available environmental tester.

The environmental test apparatus has a chamber with inner dimensions of 1.5 m in width, 1.0 m in height and 1.0 m in depth. The temperature in the chamber is -40 to + 200 ° C., and the relative humidity is 0 to
It can be controlled to 100%. This time, in order to reproduce the outdoor use condition of the solar cell module, UL1
The temperature and humidity in the chamber of the environmental tester were controlled according to the pattern described in 703. That is,
First, the temperature is lowered from 20 ° C. to −40 ° C. at a rate of about 110 ° C./hour, and then kept constant for about 40 minutes. next,
Increase the temperature to + 85 ° C at a rate of about 110 ° C / hour, 8
After maintaining the temperature at 5 ° C. and a relative humidity of 85% for 4 hours and 10 minutes, the temperature is lowered to 20 ° C. at a rate of about 110 ° C./hour. This is a pattern of one cycle, and this was continuously performed for 60 cycles.

Here, although not described in UL 1703, it is necessary to irradiate the solar cell module with light in order to reproduce the actual use situation of the solar cell module outdoors. However, it is generally known that amorphous silicon solar cells are deteriorated by light, and irradiating light deteriorates the electrical performance of the solar cell module. Therefore, this time, in order to distinguish between the effect of the photodeterioration on the solar cell module and the effect of the invasion of water vapor from the outside on the solar cell module, which is a problem in the present invention, the solar cell module is not installed in the chamber. No light was applied. The output terminals were kept open and waterproofed by a terminal box.

In the chamber of the above-mentioned environmental test apparatus, ten solar cell modules thus produced were placed horizontally on top of each other at a distance of about 10 cm so that the light-receiving surface faced upward.

After the above test was performed for 60 cycles, these solar cell modules were taken out of the environmental test apparatus, and water droplets and moisture adhering to the surface were wiped off with a cloth. The electric performance of each solar cell module was measured using a commercially available large-scale pseudo sunlight generation (SPIRE, 240A).
The irradiated pseudo sunlight had an AM of 1.5 GROBAL, an intensity of 100 mW / cm ² , and was measured at room temperature.

As a result, in the module according to the first embodiment, four or ten frames in which the detachment of the frame material occurred, one in which the shunt resistance was reduced to 1/10 or less, or one in which the frame material was electrically short-circuited. In the module of Comparative Example 1, the number was 9 out of 10 and the effect of the present invention was proved.

(Example 2) In Example 2, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, a step extending over the entire length in the longitudinal direction was provided on one side of the joining member between the solar cell sealing portion and the frame material. A shape corresponding to a step corresponding to the step of the member, that is, a convex portion having an L-shaped cross section was provided at the entrance end of the slit-shaped groove. Then, the amorphous silicon solar cell element 11, the back surface protection member 12 made of a foam material, the adhesive layer 13,
The front surface protection member 14, the back surface protection member 15, the filler 16, the joining member 17 between the solar cell sealing portion and the frame member, and the frame member 18 are the amorphous silicon solar cell element 21 and the foamed back surface protection member 22 of FIG. , Adhesive layer 23, surface protection material 2
4, the back surface protection material 25, the filling material 26, the joining member 27 of the solar cell sealing portion and the frame material, and the frame material 28, respectively. Further, the solar cell sealing portion 10 of FIG. 4 corresponds to the solar cell sealing portion 20 of FIG.

In Example 2, ten solar cell modules were produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the joining member and the frame material were structured as shown in FIG.

The joining member 27 between the solar cell sealing portion and the frame member was made by integrally molding a relatively flexible plastic in the shape shown in FIGS. First,
On the front side in the longitudinal direction of the solar cell sealing portion, a vertical 138c
m, width 1.0cm, thickness of about 3mm on one surface of a columnar projection of diameter 5.0mm height 1.5mm 2c
m was formed at intervals of m and further provided with a step of about 2 mm only on one side of the surface opposite to the convex portion. On the back side in the longitudinal direction of the solar cell sealing portion, a vertical 138c
m, 0.5 cm in width, on one surface of a plate-like portion having a thickness of about 1 mm, a columnar section having a diameter of about 5.0 mm and a depth of 0.5 mm at a location corresponding to the location of the above-mentioned columnar projection. Depressions were arranged at intervals of 2 cm, and a shape 27b in which a step of about 2 mm was provided only on one side of the surface opposite to the depression was manufactured.
In the lateral direction of the solar cell sealing portion, a joining member having a length of 37 cm was formed in the same shape as the pair of joining members described above. The longitudinal end of the joining member was formed at an angle of 45 degrees.

Next, in the same manner as in Example 1, when the long side of the above-mentioned joining member is aligned with the outermost end of the sealing portion among the edges of the sealing portion of the solar cell, a cylindrical projection and A hole having a diameter of 5 mm penetrating the front and back surfaces was formed in a portion corresponding to the hole. After the opposing surface and the columnar projection are penetrated into the hole of the sealing member edge from the front side, the bonding member is inserted into the hole of the bonding member on the back side and crimped. Let dry.

The frame member 28 was formed by integrally molding a relatively flexible neoprene rubber having the shape shown in FIG. First, a vertical one is placed on the front side in the longitudinal direction of the solar cell sealing portion.
An object having a shape in which a groove having a cross section as shown in FIG. 5 was arranged in a plate-like portion having a size of 38 cm, a width of 1.0 cm and a thickness of about 9 mm was produced. The shape of the slit-like groove had a depth of about 2 mm and a thickness of about 3 mm at the outer portion, and a depth of about 6.0 mm and a thickness of about 3.0 mm at the depth. In the short direction of the solar cell sealing portion, the shape is the same as the above, and the vertical direction is 37.
cm.

The frame material 28 prepared in advance as described above
Only the innermost part of the slit-shaped groove was filled with a butyl rubber filler over its entire length, and the remaining part was coated with an aqueous adhesive and then adhered to the edge of the solar cell sealing part. After fitting into the joining member and pressing, it was dried for about 2 days.

As the backing member 22 for the foam material, the same member as in Example 1 was used. Finally, an output terminal and a waterproof terminal box were installed on the module at the solar cell sealing portion.

An evaluation test similar to that of Example 1 was performed on the solar cell module manufactured as described above.

As a result, in the module according to the second embodiment, three or ten frames in which the detachment of the frame material occurred, one in which the shunt resistance was reduced to 1/10 or less, or one in which the frame material was electrically short-circuited. Yes, the effect of the present invention was demonstrated.

(Embodiment 3) In Embodiment 3, a step extending over the entire length in the longitudinal direction is provided on one side of the joining member between the solar cell sealing portion and the frame member in the present invention, while the frame member corresponds to the step of the joining member. To provide, that is, a convex portion having an L-shaped cross section is provided at the entrance end of the slit-shaped groove,
Furthermore, a concave portion was provided on the inner surface of the slit-shaped groove of the frame material, and a convex portion was provided on the joining member corresponding to the concave portion.

In Example 3, ten solar cell modules were produced in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the frame material shown in FIG. 6 was used and the configuration of the solar cell module was changed to that shown in FIG. Then, the amorphous silicon solar cell element 11, the back surface protection member 12 made of a foam material, the adhesive layer 13, the surface protection material 14, the back surface protection material 15, the filler 16, the sealing material of the solar cell and the frame material of FIG. Joining member 17 and frame material 1
Reference numeral 8 denotes the amorphous silicon solar cell element 31, the back surface protection member 32 made of a foam material, the adhesive layer 33, the surface protection material 34, the back surface protection material 35, the filler 36, the sealing portion of the solar cell and the frame material of FIG. They correspond to the joining member 37 and the frame member 38, respectively. 1. The solar cell sealing portion 10 in FIG. 1 corresponds to the solar cell sealing portion 30 in FIG.

The joining member between the solar cell sealing portion and the frame member was made by integrally molding a relatively flexible plastic having the shape shown in FIG. First, a cylindrical protrusion having a diameter of 5.0 mm and a height of 1.5 mm is formed on one surface of a plate-shaped portion having a length of 138 cm, a width of 1.0 cm and a thickness of about 3 mm on the front side in the longitudinal direction of the solar cell sealing portion. The portions are arranged at intervals of 2 cm, and a step of about 2 mm is provided only on one side of the surface opposite to the convex portion. On the surface opposite to the convex portion, a cross section as shown in FIG. 37a having a shape in which the convex portion was provided over the entire length in the longitudinal direction was manufactured. On the back side in the longitudinal direction of the solar cell sealing portion, 138 cm long and 0.5 c wide
m, on one surface of a plate-like portion having a thickness of about 1 mm, cylindrical recesses having a diameter of about 5.0 mm and a depth of 0.5 mm are provided at intervals of 2 cm at locations corresponding to the locations of the above-mentioned columnar projections. Placed,
Further, a step of about 2 mm is provided only on one side of the surface opposite to the concave portion, and a convex portion having a length of 1 mm and a width of 1 mm is provided on the surface opposite to the concave portion over the entire length in the longitudinal direction as shown in FIG. 37b having a different shape was produced. In the lateral direction of the solar cell sealing portion, a joining member having a length of 37 cm was formed in the same shape as the pair of joining members described above. The longitudinal end of the joining member was formed at an angle of 45 degrees.

Next, in the same manner as in Example 1, when the long side of the above-mentioned joining member is aligned with the outermost end of the sealing portion, the columnar projection and A hole having a diameter of 3 mm penetrating the front and back surfaces was formed in a portion corresponding to the hole. A commercially available aqueous adhesive was applied to the opposing surface and the columnar convex and concave portions of the joining member, and the convex portion of the joining member penetrated from the surface side to the hole at the edge of the solar cell sealing portion. Then, after being thickly inserted so as to be inserted into the hole of the joining member on the back side,
Let dry for days.

The frame member 38 was formed by integrally molding a relatively flexible neoprene rubber having the shape shown in FIG. First, on the front side in the longitudinal direction of the solar cell sealing portion, 138 cm long, 1.0 cm wide, and about 11 mm thick
An article having a shape in which grooves having a cross section as shown in FIG. The shape of the slit-like groove has a depth of about 2 mm and a thickness of about 3 mm at the outer portion, and further,
The depth at the back was about 6.0 mm and the thickness was about 3.0 mm. Further, a concave portion, that is, a groove was provided inside the slit-shaped groove at a position corresponding to the convex portion of the connection member. In the short direction of the solar cell sealing portion, a joining member having the same shape as above and a length of 37 cm was produced.

Only the innermost part of the slit-shaped groove of the frame material prepared in advance as described above was filled with a butyl rubber filler over its entire length, and the remaining part was coated with an aqueous adhesive. After that, it was fitted into a bonding member adhered to the edge of the solar cell sealing portion, pressed and dried for about 2 days.

The same evaluation test as in Example 1 was performed on the solar cell module manufactured as described above.

As a result, in the module according to the third embodiment, four or ten frames in which the detachment of the frame material occurred, one in which the shunt resistance was reduced to 1/10 or less, or one in which the short was electrically short-circuited. Yes, the effect of the present invention was demonstrated.

[0069]

As described above, according to the present invention,
Prevents the frame material from detaching from the solar cell sealing portion, and also prevents water vapor from entering the solar cell element through the end of the solar cell sealing portion and reaching the solar cell element. It is possible to provide a solar cell module capable of preventing a failure of a solar cell element and a failure due to an electric short circuit of an internal wiring of the solar cell module.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a solar cell module of Example 1.

FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a solar cell module of Example 2.

FIG. 3 is a schematic sectional view showing a solar cell module according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a relationship between a solar cell sealing portion and a joining member of a frame member according to the first embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a relationship between a solar cell sealing portion and a joining member of a frame member according to a second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating a relationship between a solar cell sealing portion and a joining member of a frame member according to a third embodiment.

FIG. 7 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a layer configuration of an amorphous solar cell element.

FIG. 8 is a schematic sectional view showing an example of a conventional flexible solar cell module.

[Description of Signs] 11, 21, 31, 91 Amorphous silicon solar cell element, 12, 22, 32, 92 Backside protection member made of foam material, 13, 23, 33, 93 Adhesive layer, 14, 24, 34 , 94 Surface protection material, 15, 25, 35, 95 Back surface protection material, 16, 26, 36, 96 Filler, 17, 27, 37 Joint member between solar cell sealing portion and frame material, 18, 28, 38, 98 frame material, 10, 20, 90 solar cell sealing portion, 41 stainless steel substrate, 42 n-type amorphous silicon thin film, 43 i-type amorphous silicon thin film, 44 p-type amorphous silicon thin film, 45 n -Type amorphous silicon thin film, 46 i-type amorphous silicon thin film, 47 p-type amorphous silicon thin film, 48 anti-reflection layer, 49 current collecting electrode.

[Procedure amendment 2]

[Document name to be amended] Drawing

[Correction target item name] All figures

[Correction method] Change

[Correction contents]

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FIG. 2

FIG. 3

FIG. 8

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FIG. 5

FIG. 6

FIG. 7

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Ichiro Kataoka 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Inside Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Soichiro Kawakami 3-30-2 Shimomaruko 3-chome, Ota-ku, Tokyo (72) Inventor Tsutomu Murakami 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Takahiro Mori 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo In Canon Inc. ( 72) Inventor Hirofumi Ichinose 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc. (72) Inventor Hiroshi Yamamoto 3-30-2 Shimomaruko, Ota-ku, Tokyo Canon Inc.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A solar cell element having a semiconductor layer formed on a substrate is vacuum-sealed with at least a sheet-like resin and a sheet-like adhesive, and the edge of the sealed portion of the solar cell element is formed of a frame material. In the solar cell module having flexibility inserted into the slit portion, the frame member has a flexible joining member that penetrates a part of the edge portion and holds the edge portion inside the slit. And solar cell module.