You have an interesting idea there. Back in '05-'06 I was also infatuated with the homebrew solar panel idea. I took the best of what I saw on here, modified it for how I could do it cheap and ran with it.
I built six (72) cell panels from Evergreen surplus cells and wired them for 12/24V. I did like you first mentioned and glued the cells to one pane of glass, then sealed them up like a double pane window. I used heated butyl to seal, and primerless auto glass adhesive to mount, not silicone though.
Anyway, 4 of them survived my rough handling with no glass breakage. They have been mounted and making power for three years now. I have seen moisture in a panel or two after almost every heavy storm we have had here. I have seen no deterioration in any of the connections between cells. My panels are more-or-less vented to the atmosphere, through small holes, and I live in a very dry climate, away from the ocean, with 300+ sunny days/year.
Because I used chipped/broken cells, I get about 10a@24 volts out of my array at noon. I am grateful for all those watts, but I am one of the people that say they would have been watts ahead buying commercial panels. For one thing, I have 2 panels sitting in the garage that need new front glass, because I shattered it, Then there's the experimental 12V 50W panel I made that I cannot implement into my system, because it is 12V.
Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed soldering over 2400 cell connections by hand, it was like a meditation. I can point to the panels when people visit and say.. I did that myself! and feel satisfaction in their open jaw reaction... But honestly, dollars to watts, I might have done better buying panels.
Here's my story when I first mounted these panels.
http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2006/9/16/05931/0581
I say, mount the things in silicone. It's better to be an innovator or a failure than a copycat ;-)