Saflex Collaborates With Oerlikon Solar To Develop New Reflective Solar Encapsulant
Saflex, a business unit of Solutia, is launching a breakthrough solar encapsulant that helps increase the efficiency of the solar module while reducing material usage. The new product, called Saflex(R) Radiant White PA27, represents a new class of value-added encapsulants and is based on collaboration between Oerlikon Solar and Saflex to rapidly drive thin film PV technology towards grid parity.
Unlike standard encapsulants, Saflex Radiant White PA27 is unique
in that it continues to ensure long term durability of panels but also
reflects light back through the module that is not initially absorbed by
the active layers. Module manufacturers can expect panel efficiency to
increase due to the higher reflectivity of white PA27 compared to other
reflective technologies like white paint or metallic back contacts.
"We continually challenge all suppliers to aggressively deliver
solutions to help make solar power economically viable around the
world," comments Dai-Won Suh, Strategic Sourcing Manager for Oerlikon
Solar. "Saflex exceeded our expectations by developing a new encapsulant
that improved panel efficiency and further reduced material usage in
record time."
Saflex PA27 is manufactured to an ultra-thin thickness of 0.51mm
compared to standard PVB encapsulants which typically range from 0.76mm
to 1.14mm in thickness.
To re-direct light back through the film for improved energy
conversion, most solar modules utilize a reflective metallic stack or
reflective white coat. Saflex PA27 incorporates the reflective benefits
provided by these more traditional methods into the encapsulant giving
module manufacturers a cost effective solution to increase solar panel
efficiency and simplify the manufacturing process.
"We understand that Oerlikon Solar's customers expect long-term
efficiency gains with Micromorph(R) PV technology," reports Christopher
Reed, Saflex Global Business Director, Photovoltaics. "Working closely
with Oerlikon Solar, we were able to develop an advanced reflective
encapsulant for Micromorph manufacturers to help drive down cost and
maximize productivity. This supports Oerlikon Solar's goal of making
solar energy economically viable."
In addition to its reflective benefits, Saflex PA27 ushers in a new
era of electrical insulation with a two-order-of-magnitude increase in
bulk resistivity. This equates to significant improvements in the wet
insulation resistance of the module, resulting in a reduction in current
losses to ground and an increase in the power collected from each
module.
Source: GlassOnWeb
