Encapsulation of commercial and emerging solar cells with focus on perovskite solar cells

Solar cell encapsulation literature is reviewed broadly in this paper. Commercial solar cells, such as silicon and thin film solar cells, are typically encapsulated with ethylene vinyl acetate polymer (EVA) layer and rigid layers (usually glass) and edge sealants. In our paper, we cover the encapsulation materials and methods of some emerging solar cell types, that is, those of the organic solar cells, the dye-sensitized solar cells and the perovskite solar cells, and we focus on the latter of the three as the newest contender in the solar cell arena. The PSC encapsulation literature is summarized in a comprehensive table we hope the reader may use as a handbook when designing encapsulation and long-term stability experiments. Some additional functionalities included in encapsulants are also discussed in our paper, e.g. improving the encapsulants' optical properties and manufacturing them sustainably from biobased materials.

Automated summary

This paper reviews the literature on solar cell encapsulation, covering both commercial solar cells like silicon and thin film solar cells, as well as emerging types such as organic solar cells, dye-sensitized solar cells, and perovskite solar cells. The focus is specifically on the encapsulation of perovskite solar cells as the newest contender in the field. The paper provides a comprehensive summary of the literature on perovskite solar cell encapsulation, offering a handy handbook for designing encapsulation and long-term stability experiments. Additionally, the paper discusses additional functionalities of encapsulants, such as improving optical properties and using biobased materials for sustainable manufacturing.