SunFlash -- An entirely new concept for building-integrated PV. Final technical report, October 1997--June 1998

This project team has investigated an innovative and entirely new building product concept, the SunFlash, incorporating a photovoltaic module with integral mounting and sealing for watertight building integration. It can be used as a roof-integrated shingle for slant roofs, for vertical curtain walls, or in other applications. Key features of the SunFlash include the following: an integrated module concept whereby the module, backskin, edge seal and mounting and sealing are all a single molded unit of the same material; an extension of this concept to include the possibility of molded-in electrical connections; a novel encapsulant material with better adhesion, sealing, thermal creep, and UV stability properties than EVA; a crystalline silicon, glass-front module incorporating the advanced string ribbon solar cells; and accessories and features, including a module-integrated inverter, laminated exit wiring, mounting, and raceway wiring, that provide high-performance consistent with building practice. The objective of the SunFlash is a standardized, cost-effective, long-lasting solution to integrating and water-sealing modules into residential and commercial buildings, both new and retrofit