ETFE is stable and durable, able to withstand temperature changes, with a lifespan of 25-35 years. It is not easily affected by environmental factors and can effectively protect solar cells.
The service life of ETFE solar panels varies, the service life of flexible solar panels can reach 15~20 years, portable solar panels have long and short service life because of the differences in appearance and design, which can be categorized into 3~5 years and 5~15 years.
What is an ETFE solar panel?
ETFE solar panels consist of ETFE film + EVA + solar cell + EVA + PCB board. They are waterproof, UV-resistant, and lightweight, with a long service life of more than 5 years. ETFE solar panels are widely used in IoT equipment, wireless sensors, solar offshore lighting, solar lights, solar toys, and more.
They should also be able to withstand the variations in temperature outdoors and weather changes. Although you can glue the ETFE solar panels to the surface, it is ideal to use a rack mounting system as this creates space between the panels and the surface, thus avoiding overheating issues.
Instead, you should get it repaired. Peeling ETFE solar panels can be repaired by trimming the connections in the damaged panel and adding a clear epoxy layer as a temporary measure. This will be enough to take care of the efficiency-related issues. Note: The peeled ETFE solar panels may never reach their peak efficiency even after repair.
Luckily, ETFE solar panels don't need cleaning. The textured surface of the plastic is non-adhesive to dirt, dust, and stains. With occasional rainfall, the ETFE modules will remain clean at all times. However, if you store these flexible solar panels, they may need to get a nice cleaning before you set them out to the sun.
ETFE PVs are an extremely sturdy material that can withstand outdoor elements such as hail, extreme wind, and snow, as well as other physical stresses. These solar panels are less prone to cracks and fractures. In fact, you can walk on them and cause no damage to the inner power-generating components and interconnection points.