NOVELTY - The assembly comprises: a substrate (110) having a back surface and front surface; an electrically conductive metal circuit (102) adhered to the front surface of the substrate; a back insulating layer having first and second opposite sides; a back-contact solar cell having a front light-receiving side and an opposite back side with positive and negative polarity electrical contacts formed on the back side of the back-contact solar cell; and a front encapsulant layer (132) having opposite first and second sides of which first side faces the front light-receiving side of the solar cell.    USE - The assembly is useful for forming a back-contact photovoltaic module (claimed) or solar module.    ADVANTAGE - The assembly protects the photovoltaic module against physical damage using encapsulant layers, improves service life of the photovoltaic module, and is capable of efficiently forming the back-contact photovoltaic module with integrated electrically conductive circuitry.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - The assembly comprises: a substrate (110) having a back surface and front surface; an electrically conductive metal circuit (102) adhered to the front surface of the substrate; a back insulating layer having first and second opposite sides; a back-contact solar cell having a front light-receiving side and an opposite back side with positive and negative polarity electrical contacts formed on the back side of the back-contact solar cell; a front encapsulant layer (132) having opposite first and second sides of which the first side faces the front light-receiving side of the back-contact solar cell; and a transparent front sheet (134) abutting the second side of the front encapsulant layer. The first side of the back insulating layer is adhered to the electrically conductive metal circuit. The back insulating layer has openings passing through the back insulating layer, where the openings are aligned with the electrically conductive metal circuit. The back side of the back-contact solar cell faces the back insulating layer. The back-contact solar cell has a side edge between the front light-receiving side and back side of the solar cell, where the side edge defines a profile of the back-contact solar cell. The second side of the back insulating layer and the first side of the front encapsulant layer has a concave opening that complements the profile of the back-contact solar cell such that the back-contact solar cell fits into the concave opening. The positive and negative polarity electrical contacts formed on the back side of the back-contact solar cell are aligned with the openings passing through the back insulating layer and the electrically conductive metal circuit, when the back-contact solar cell is received in the concave opening. The concave opening is present: on the second side of the back insulating layer; and on the first side of the front encapsulant layer. The back insulating layer comprises a first polymer layer (112) adhered to the electrically conductive metal circuit, where a second polymer layer is adhered to the first polymer layer. A peel strength between the electrically conductive metal circuit and the first polymer layer is greater than a peel strength between the first polymer layer and second polymer layer. The concave opening is a die-cut portion of: the second polymer layer that is peeled off from the first polymer layer; and a second front encapsulant sub-layer that is peeled off from a first front encapsulant sub-layer of the front encapsulant layer. The openings passing through the back insulating layer are via die cut openings in the first polymer layer. The first front encapsulant sub-layer is adhered to the transparent front sheet and the second front encapsulant sub-layer is adhered to the first front encapsulant sub-layer. The peel strength between the transparent front sheet and the first front encapsulant sub-layer is greater than the peel strength between the first front encapsulant sub-layer and the second front encapsulant sub-layer. The back insulating layer is a back encapsulant layer with via die cut openings in the back encapsulant layer. INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are included for:    (1) a process for forming a back contact photovoltaic module; and    (2) an integrated back-sheet for a back-contact photovoltaic module.    DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING(S) - The figure shows a schematic cross-sectional view of a back-contact photovoltaic assembly.    Conductive metal circuit (102)    Substrate (110)    Polymer layer (112)    Front encapsulant layer (132)    Transparent front sheet. (134)