Advanced polymer encapsulates for photovoltaic devices − A review

Photovoltaic (PV) technology has evolved as the major renewable power resource in the worldwide green energy sector to meet the future challenge of energy needs. The main barrier for the commercialization of this technology which is even estimated to contribute about 20% of the global energy supply by 2050 is the poor performance and stability of the PV modules in the outdoor climate. Encapsulation of PV modules is one among the multiple ways to mitigate these stability issues and it plays an important role in the enhancement of the device lifetime by providing a barrier structure to restrict the penetration of oxygen and moisture. This review summarizes the extensive progress made in the field of polymer encapsulate materials for PV modules and also providing current challenges and future perspectives in this area.