TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Components: The protective film has an emissivity of greater than 0.6. The electronics assembly includes power conversion circuits. An end of the photovoltaic module near the first or last row of photovoltaic cells to which the electronics assembly is connected is a positive end of the photovoltaic module when the power conversion circuits comprise p-type field effect transistors, or an end of the photovoltaic module near the first or last row of photovoltaic cells to which the electronics assembly is connected is a negative end of the photovoltaic module when the power conversion circuits comprise n-type field effect transistors. The electronics assembly comprises: a housing extending along a portion of the end of the backsheet; an electrical isolation layer disposed between the housing and the fold of the backsheet; a first interconnecting member extending along a portion of the end of the backsheet; and a printed circuit board assembly including a printed circuit board. The housing has a first side disposed proximate and parallel to the fold of the backsheet and a second side attached to the first side of the housing, and a removable cover and two vented end caps disposed on opposite ends of the housing. The electrical isolation layer and the fold of the backsheet are sandwiched between the first side of the housing and the first interconnecting member. The electrical isolation layer comprises thermally conductive tape. The printed circuit board assembly is: mechanically and electrically connected to the first interconnecting member; grounded to the backsheet through the first interconnecting member and the fold of the backsheet; and configured to optically communicate a data regarding the photovoltaic module via the light emitting diode, where the data includes out-of-range voltage, ground fault detection, module faults, insufficient illumination, power, system voltage, panel voltage, output current or photovoltaic module temperature. The second interconnecting member has a first side and a second side, where the first side is electrically connected to each of the photovoltaic cells within the first row and the second side includes a strain relief fold and is electrically and mechanically connected to the printed circuit board assembly of the electronics assembly. The electronics assembly is attached on a backside of the photovoltaic module. The fold included in the end of the backsheet includes: a purposely textured surface facing a heatsink; and a first fold. The end of the backsheet further comprises a strain relief fold formed between the major surface of the backsheet and the first fold. The second side of the housing is disposed proximate and parallel to the major surface of the backsheet. The acrylic foam tape connects the second side of the housing to the major surface of the backsheet. A portion of the front plate, the first side of the housing, the end caps and the removable cover cooperatively form an enclosure within which the power conversion circuits are disposed. The first interconnecting member extends to near contact with heat-generating elements of the electronics assembly, and is configured to transfer thermal energy away from the heat-generating elements. A cross-section of the frame includes a channel sufficiently wide to accommodate a material stack including front plate, the backsheet along the perimeter portion and an electrically isolating strip disposed between a backside of the perimeter portion of the backsheet and a corresponding face of the channel. The cutout includes a recessed slot providing electrically insulating space between an edge of the perimeter portion of the backsheet and the frame. The terminals include: a bolt having a first end connected to the electronics assembly and a second end that is threaded and split in two such that the second end defines a u-shaped channel, where a diameter of the bolt is 10 millimeters; a T-shaped washer configured to be placed upside down within the u-shaped channel; and a nut, where the bolt, washer and nut cooperate to engage a portion of a wire within the u-shaped channel of the bolt. Each terminal is covered and protected from moisture by a paired terminal housing and terminal cover. The terminal covers include tabs for use with a cable tie to secure the terminal cover to a corresponding terminal housing. The power relays are coupled between negative and positive lines of the photovoltaic module and corresponding negative and positive lines of an external circuit, and is configured to electrically isolate the photovoltaic module from the external circuit when the photovoltaic module is not operating. The optical relay is configured to supply small current flow to the external circuit prior to commencing operation of the photovoltaic module to equalize line potential of the external circuit with an internal voltage of the photovoltaic module before closing the power relays. The optical relay and the voltmeter are coupled in series to each other across the negative and positive lines of the external circuit.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Components: The protective film covering the backsheet comprises black polyethylene terephthalate or black poly methyl methacrylate.