Effects of artificial ageing tests on EVA degradation: influence of microclimate and methodology approach

The ageing behavior of ethylene vinyl acetate as encapsulant material in photovoltaic modules has been extensively studied over the years. This study aims to make a step forward in understanding how environmental conditions influence polymer behavior, how different module components interact with each other and finally how (and if) it is possible to correlate changes between material properties and power output. In this work, performances of laminated mini-modules subjected to different artificial ageing tests are compared and the degradation behavior of EVA is investigated. In particular, qualitative analysis of additives, color changes as well as changes in chemical structure and thermal stability of the encapsulant are analyzed.