Energy Environment and Economy

Abstract

Photovoltaic (PV) technologies continue to expand as the global demand for sustainable energy accelerates. Yet, while advances in solar cell materials have improved conversion efficiency, the reliability and performance of photovoltaic modules still depend heavily on manufacturing precision. Among the most critical stages is the lamination process, where temperature, pressure, and curing time collectively determine structural bonding, electrical stability, and defect formation. This study explored how controlled adjustments in these parameters influence module performance during manufacturing. A full factorial Design of Experiments (DOE) framework was applied to examine lamination temperature (140–160 °C), pressure (0.70–0.90 MPa), and curing duration (12–18 min). Sixty experimental runs were conducted using monocrystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, while performance metrics—including power output, defect rate, adhesion strength, thermal stability, and electrical deviation—were systematically measured. Statistical Process Control (SPC) tools and process capability indices (Cp and Cpk) were used to evaluate production stability and reproducibility. Results suggest that incremental increases in lamination temperature, pressure, and curing duration generally improved module performance. Power output increased from 282.94 W to 287.62 W, while defect rates declined from 5.36% to 3.56%. Mechanical adhesion strength improved from 2.53 N/mm² to 2.95 N/mm², accompanied by enhanced thermal stability. Among the experimental runs, the optimal configuration—155 °C lamination temperature, 0.85 MPa pressure, and 18 min curing—produced 286.74 W output with a defect rate of only 2.83% and the highest observed adhesion strength of 3.01 N/mm². Overall, the findings highlight how carefully optimized lamination parameters can significantly enhance electrical efficiency, structural durability, and process reliability. These insights may contribute to more stable photovoltaic manufacturing systems and, perhaps more importantly, support the broader advancement of scalable and dependable solar energy technologies.

Keywords: Photovoltaic manufacturing; Lamination optimization; Design of experiments; Statistical process control; Solar module reliability