Historically, solar modules have seen advancements from BSF to PERC cells, and now to more efficient TOPCon and HJT cells, each bringing unique packaging challenges. TaiyangNews is hosting its first physical Solar Technology Conference India 2025 on April 10-11 in New Delhi, focusing on advancing PV manufacturing. On Day1, Speakers Jochen Rentsch, Head of Technology, Fraunhofer ISE; Dr. Radovan Kopecek Co-founder & Director, ISC Konstanz; Abhishek Kaushal, Director South Asia, Huasun Energy; and Dinesh Kabra, Professor, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, will share insights into evolving cell architectures and industry roadmaps.
The encapsulation segment leverages its extensive experience to address these challenges with materials specifically designed to meet the durability demands of new cell and module technologies. As a result, the encapsulation materials market has undergone significant changes over the years, with EVA dominating the segment.
Known for its unmatched cost-performance ratio, EVA enjoyed a monopoly in the early days of solar production. However, this dominance has been increasingly challenged by the rise of bifacial module technology with limitations such as acid formation and its poor PID-combating properties, particularly in the glass-glass bifacial PERC module. POE emerged as a viable alternative, addressing these shortcomings with superior electrical insulation due to its higher volume resistivity (VR) and lower water vapor transmission rate (WVTR). This material gained attention alongside the growing adoption of bifacial technology. The rising bar for PID and moisture ingression, with advanced cell architectures like TOPCon and HJT gaining more prominence, has also boosted POE’s market share. However, given the high costs associated with POE, the industry has innovated a low-cost alternative called EPE, which is nothing but the sandwiched structure of EVA-POE-EVA, made through coextrusion. EPE also comes with better processability compared to pure POE, which has a few inherent limitations such as longer processing times and a slippery surface, especially posting a challenge for busbars, causing busbar displacement.
