Metrological Aspects Of Evaluation of Glass Types Used in Photovoltaic Modules in Laboratory Scale

The front glass cover is the crucial part of commercially available silicon solar modules as it provides mechanical protection and environmental isolation. However, from a utility point of view the most important thing is how the glass cover influences the power generation of a photovoltaic (PV) module. Optical matching of the whole structure determines the number of photons absorbed by the solar cells and hence the produced photocurrent. In this study five types of PV glass were optically measured and characterized to find out useful information on transmittance and its character. Then, the results were compared with the electrical parameters of solar mini-modules employing each type of glass. Additionally, the work aimed to providing a low-cost measuring procedure to determine the influence of front glass on photovoltaic performance in small, laboratory scale preserving the Standard Test Conditions. An important aspect was an analysis of different types of glass texture. To confirm properness and adequacy of the analysis, the uncer- tainty aspect was discussed as well.