Temperature and Power Study of Adhered and Racked Double Glass Photovoltaic Modules

Frameless, glass-glass photovoltaic (PV) modules have demonstrated superior durability over conventional framed modules. However, their deployment in the residential market has been hampered by limited mounting options. An efficient and relatively unexplored alternative is the use of adhesives to attach the modules to sloped shingled residential roofs. One concern with adhesive mounting is the impact of temperature on module performance due to a reduction in the module/roof gap. This study compares the temperature and performance of three mounting configurations including adhesive mounting of a glass-glass module on a shingled roof. Results indicate an increase of 10.0-15.6°C and a reduction in power of approximately 15 W for the adhesively mounted (no gap) glass-glass module compared with the same module mounted at a gap of 4 and 7 inches.