TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRICAL POWER AND ENERGY - Preferred Method: Alternatively, fabricating photovoltaic module comprises: (a) forming a laminate comprising: a transparent layer and a support layer, each of the transparent layer and the support layers having an exterior surface, an interior surface and an edge surface; a photovoltaic layer disposed between the interior surfaces of the transparent layer and the support layer; and an encapsulant material disposed between the photovoltaic layer and either the interior surface of the transparent layer or the interior surface of the support layer, or both, the encapsulant material having a predetermined sealing temperature above which the encapsulant is able to flow into adhesive contact with the photovoltaic layer and the transparent layer and/or the protective layer; the laminate having a periphery; (b) engaging the laminate completely about its periphery with a fixture, the fixture having an insert, the insert extending completely about the periphery of the laminate, the insert having an interior and an exterior surface thereon, the insert being formed of a material having a predetermined sealing temperature above which the insert is able to flow into adhesive contact with an adjacent layer; the fixture further having an expandable bladder disposed adjacent to the exterior surface of the insert, the expandable bladder being disposed in an air-tight relationship with the fixture to seal the fixture from the atmosphere; (c) using a heating source, heating the encapsulant and the insert; (d) before the encapsulant and the insert are raised to their sealing temperatures, withdrawing air from between the layers of the laminate, where, atmospheric pressure acts against the exterior surfaces of the transparent and the protective layers to compress the encapsulant against the layers of the laminate; and (e) while the air is being withdrawn from the laminate and before the encapsulant and the insert are raised to their sealing temperatures, inflating the expandable bladder to bring the same into contact with the exterior surface of the insert and force the insert into contact with the laminate, such that, as the temperature of the encapsulant and the insert are each raised past their respective sealing temperatures, the encapsulant adhesively contacts against the surfaces of adjacent layers of the laminate and, the insert adhesively contacts against the edge of the photovoltaic layer and at least the edge surfaces of the transparent and protective layers, thus to form a sealed composite structure. Fabricating photovoltaic module comprises: (a) forming a laminate comprising: a transparent layer and a support layer, each of the transparent layer and the support layers having an exterior surface, an interior surface and an edge surface; a photovoltaic layer disposed between the interior surfaces of the transparent layer and the support layer; and an encapsulant material disposed between the photovoltaic layer and either the interior surface of the transparent layer or the interior surface of the support layer, or both, the encapsulant material having a predetermined sealing temperature above which the encapsulant is able to flow into adhesive contact with the photovoltaic layer and the transparent layer and/or the protective layer; the laminate having a periphery; (b) engaging the laminate completely about its periphery with a fixture, the fixture having an insert, the insert extending completely about the periphery of the laminate, the insert having an interior and an exterior surface thereon, the insert being formed of a material having a predetermined sealing temperature above which the insert is able to flow into adhesive contact with an adjacent layer; the fixture further having a deflectable diaphragm disposed adjacent to the exterior surface of the insert, the deflectable diaphragm itself having an exterior surface communicating with the atmosphere, the deflectable diaphragm being disposed in an air-tight relationship with the fixture to seal the fixture from the atmosphere; (c) using a heating source, heating the encapsulant and the insert; and (d) before the encapsulant and the insert are raised to their sealing temperatures, withdrawing air from between the layers of the laminate, where, (i) atmospheric pressure acts against the exterior surfaces of the transparent and the protective layers to compress the encapsulant against the layers of the laminate; and (e) while the air is being withdrawn from the laminate, atmospheric pressure acts against the exterior surface of the deflectable diaphragm to bring the same into contact with the exterior surface of the insert and to force the insert into the depletion region, such that, as the temperature of the encapsulant and the insert are each raised past their respective sealing temperatures, the encapsulant adhesively contacts against the surfaces of adjacent layers of the laminate and, the insert adhesively contacts against the edge of the photovoltaic layer and at least the edge surfaces of the transparent and protective layers, thus to form a sealed composite structure. Fabricating photovoltaic module comprises: (a) forming a laminate comprising: the fixture having an insert, the insert extending completely about the periphery of the laminate, the insert having an interior and an exterior surface thereon, the insert being formed of a material having a predetermined sealing temperature above which the insert is able to flow into adhesive contact with an adjacent layer; the fixture further having an expandable bladder disposed adjacent to the exterior surface of the insert, the expandable bladder being disposed in an air-tight relationship with the fixture to seal the fixture from the atmosphere; (b) engaging the laminate completely about its periphery with a fixture, the fixture having an insert, the insert extending completely about the periphery of the laminate, the insert having an interior and an exterior surface thereon, the insert being disposed in sealed engagement with the fixture with the exterior surface of the insert being in fluid communication with the atmosphere, the insert being formed of a material having a predetermined sealing temperature above which the insert is able to flow into adhesive contact with an adjacent layer; (c) using a heating source, heating the encapsulant and the insert within the laminate; and (d) before the encapsulant and the insert are raised to their sealing temperatures, withdrawing air from between the layers of the laminate, where, (i) atmospheric pressure acts against the exterior surfaces of the transparent and the protective layers to compress the encapsulant against the layers of the laminate; and (ii) atmospheric pressure acts against the exterior surface of the insert to cause the insert to contact the laminate, such that, as the temperature of the encapsulant and the insert are each raised past their respective sealing temperatures, the encapsulant adhesively contacts against the surfaces of adjacent layers of the laminate and, the insert adhesively contacts against the edge of the photovoltaic layer and at least the edge surfaces of the transparent and protective layers, thus to form a sealed composite structure. The support layer of the laminate has an exhaust aperture, where, in step (d), air is withdrawn from the laminate through the exhaust aperture in the support layer. Air is withdrawn through the exhaust aperture until a pressure within the laminate between the transparent layer and the support layer lies in the range from about 0 to 50 millibar absolute. The fixture has a vacuum port, where, in step (d), air is withdrawn from the laminate through the vacuum port in the fixture. Air is withdrawn through the vacuum port until a pressure within the laminate between the transparent layer and the support layer lies in the range from about 0 to 50 millibar absolute. In step (b), the fixture engages the exterior surface of the transparent layer or the exterior surface of the support layer or the exterior surface of both the support and transparent layers. The fixture engages the edge surface of the transparent layer or the edge surface of the support layer or the edge surface of both the support and transparent layers. The fixture is substantially rigid in planes parallel to the exterior surfaces of the transparent and support layers, such that, during step (c), the rigidity of the fixture prevents pinching of the layers of the laminate in the vicinity of their edges. Heating source is a source of radiation having a wavelength in the range 0.3 to 100 micrometers; heating source is a source of radiation having a wavelength in the range 0.4 to 20 micrometers; or heating source is a source of radiation having a wavelength in the range 0.4 to 10 micrometers. The transparent layer of the laminate is made from glass having a thickness of about three millimeters (3) mm, where the encapsulant is a polyvinyl butyral (PVB), Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) or an ionomeric material, and where the heating source is a source of infrared radiation having a peak wavelength in the range from about one (1) to about ten (10) micrometers, where at least thirty percent (30%) of the available energy from the infrared radiation source is directly absorbed by the encapsulant. The transparent layer of the laminate is made from glass having a thickness of about three (3) mm, where the encapsulant is an ionomeric material filled by 20% weight filled by weight glass filler and where the heating source is a source of radiation having a peak wavelength in the range from about one (1) to about ten (10) micrometers, where at least fifty percent (50%) of the available energy from the infrared radiation source is directly absorbed by the encapsulant. It is made from glass having a thickness of about three (3) mm, where the encapsulant is an ionomeric material filled with 2% weight by weight carbon black and where the heating source is a source of radiation having a peak wavelength in the range from about one (1) to about ten (10) micrometers, where at least sixty-five percent (65%) of the available energy from the infrared radiation source is directly absorbed by the encapsulant. The photovoltaic layer is disposed between the interior surfaces of the transparent layer and the protective layers with the edge of the photovoltaic layer lying a predetermined distance inwardly from the edges of the transparent layer and the protective layer, thus to define a depletion region extending peripherally about the laminate; and where, in step (d), the force generating member acts against the insert to force the interior surface of the insert into the depletion region and into contact against the interior surfaces of the transparent and protective layers. The force generating member comprises an expandable bladder, and where, in step (d), the force generating member is actuated by inflating the expandable bladder to bring the same into contact with the exterior surface of the insert and force the insert into adhesive contact at least against the edge of the photovoltaic layer and at least the edges of the transparent and protective layers.