Encapsulation strategies for mechanical impact and damp heat reliability improvement of lightweight photovoltaic modules...
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status: published
Stress tolerance of lightweight glass-free PV modules for vehicle integration
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Published in EPJ Photovoltaics
Electric vehicles (EVs) currently dominate the sales in the automotive market. A big leap in this market can be made by developing a photovoltaic product that can be integrated to an EV, as it can boost the driving range of the EV while reducing the charging frequency. Such vehicle-integrated photovoltaic (VIPV) products are already successfully de...
Varying shading in vehicle-integrated PV for different public transport case studies: A simulation-based model
With advancements in the photovoltaics (PV) market, involving increased PV module efficiency and reduced costs, the logical progression is the integration of PV into various surfaces, including vehicles (VIPV). For a driving VIPV, the constant change in irradiance presents a significant challenge. The location, weather, and time are key factors tha...
Integrated Photovoltaics Potential for Passenger Cars: A Focus on the Sensitivity to Electrical Architecture Losses
Vehicle integrated photovoltaics (VIPV) are among the identified solutions to reduce the environmental impacts of the transport sector. The model developed here simulates the VIPV system. It considers various usage patterns and vehicle types, several characteristics of the photovoltaic system and all the losses that may decrease energy yield. Focus...
Overview of key results achieved in H2020 HighLite project helping to raise the EU PV industries' competitiveness
The EU crystalline silicon (c-Si) PV manufacturing industry has faced strong foreign competition in the last decade. To strive in this competitive environment and differentiate itself from the competition, the EU c-Si PV manufacturing industry needs to (1) focus on highly performing c-Si PV technologies, (2) include sustainability by design, and (3...
Development and testing of light-weight PV modules based on glass-fibre reinforcement
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status: published
Development and testing of light-weight PV modules based on glass-fibre reinforcement
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Published in EPJ Photovoltaics
In this paper we report on our approach on integrating c-Si PV into lightweight structures, in particular towards vehicle integration. To this end we want to get rid of the (bulk weight of the) glass but seek a suitable replacement in terms of mechanical stability. First we elaborate on the most basic standards and norms that VIPV products should r...
Photovoltaic potential of the fleet of urban vehicles
The European Union committed to a 40% reduction in domestic greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 in order to maintain globalwarming between 1.5°C and 2°C during the 21st Conference of the Parties. This pledge involves, among other things, emission reductions in the transportation sector, which accounts for a quarter of Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions...
Proposal for a Safety Qualification Program for Vehicle-Integrated PV Modules
We propose a safety qualification program for vehicle-integrated photovoltaic (VIPV) modules, which could serve as a simplification, thereby accelerating the homologation process of new vehicle designs. The basis is the current photovoltaic (PV) module safety qualification, as defined in IEC 61730:2016, which is compared to automotive norms and reg...
Integrated Lightweight, Glass-Free PV Module Technology for Box Bodies of Commercial Trucks
We propose a new integrated photovoltaic module technology and manufacturing process for the seamless integration into box body roofs of commercial trucks to unlock a 90.2 GW potential in the EU. Our approach is to laminate c-Si photovoltaic cells with an ETFE-top cover onto conventional GFRP-hard-foam sandwich elements, which can be directly insta...
