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An overview of the principal mechanically-induced failure modes in photovoltaic modules is herein
presented. They include both failure and damage at the level of the silicon cell (cracking, cut of metallic fingers
due to silicon chipping) and failures involving the layered structure of the module (debonding of the polymeric
layer encapsulating the solar cells, interlaminar debonding in the backsheet). These failure modes are expected
to be even more critical in the future due to the development of non conventional semi-transparent or flexible
modules for architectonic or high-tech applications. From the proposed overview, it emerges that fundamental
research on mechanics of photovoltaic modules is relevant to improve safety and durability of this technology
in the years to come.