Influence of temperature on partial discharge of insulating PET backsheet in photovoltaic module

Abstract

Solar energy has been widely used as a kind of renewable power generation in recent years. In a photovoltaic (PV) system, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the core component of backsheet and affects the reliability of the system. In this paper, the effect of temperature on partial discharge (PD) of PET is studied. As shown by the PD measurement system, the amplitude of PD of PET films decreases significantly with temperature increasing. The mechanism of PD degradation, which is closely related to the operational temperature and the chemical change of the insulation backsheet, has been investigated.