Optimized Color Characterization of Solar Photovoltaic Laminates
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Author
Borja Block, Alejandro
Escarre Palou, Jordi
Faes, Antonin
Virtuani, Alessandro
Ballif, Christophe
DOI
Abstract
The aesthetics of integrated PV modules is crucial. Customers, including architects, seek out high levels of customization with unlimited color options. The academy and industry use common characterization techniques with devices such as colorimeters and spectrometers based on integrated spheres to characterize color. The previously mentioned characterization tools present a decrease in the signal when the sample under characterization is placed behind a transparent medium (typically glass), making it impossible to accurately determine the color. This study investigates the most suitable characterization techniques to determine the color in PV modules and proposes an innovative measurement technique to assess the reflected color of a specimen placed behind a transparent layer. To do this, several samples with different glass thicknesses and colors are laminated and then characterized using four different devices: a scanner, an integrated sphere spectrometer, a commercial portable colorimeter, and our in-house assembled innovative colorimeter. Both, color coordinates and color change (E) between the samples are assessed using the different characterization techniques to determine the optimal solution. Results show that common scanner machines cannot assess accurately colors in PV modules, because the lateral losses of light in the glass decrease the reflected signal producing darker images, therefore altering an accurate color determination. We observe in fact a high reflectance reduction with the integrated sphere spectrometer and the portable colorimeter as the glass thickness of the sample increases. The signal is only slightly decreased when using the novel colorimeter. Bright colors show a larger reflectance reduction with thicker glass cross sections with respect to darker colors.
Publication Reference
EU PVSEC 2023, 4BO.16.3, p. 020287-001 - 020287-014
Year
2023-09-01