Silicone gel enables junction box redesign
To reduce costs, Evergreen Solar, a manufacturer of
photovoltaic (PV) modules, wanted to reduce the size of its junction boxes. But
the company needed to do so without sacrificing durability or performance.
Evergreen Solar’s standard junction boxes had sufficient air space to enable
diode cooling. But smaller boxes presented heat transfer challenges. To
overcome those challenges, Evergreen turned to a silicone dielectric tough gel
designed specifically for protecting devices in solar applications. Used as a
potting agent, the gel’s thermal conductivity allowed optimal bypass diode
cooling. The translucent gel also offered very good protection against
environmental ingress, good dielectrics, primerless adhesion, fast cure, and
easy visual inspection. Plus, the material met the
application’s fire resistance needs.
Between the junction box redesign and the automated application of the
fast-curing silicone gel, Evergreen Solar significantly cut its total
junction
box costs, while ensuring optimal diode durability and performance.
Learn about photovoltaic junction box
potting agents from Dow Corning.