Jan 22 2010
Bio Solar was acclaimed as a “PV innovation on the leading edge for 2010” in a cover story by Renewable Energy Focus that was published in December/January. Bio Solar is a developer of an innovative technology to produce bio-based materials from renewable plant sources that help in reducing the cost of photovoltaic solar modules.
Author Joyce Laird, in his articles on advances in solar photovoltaics, studies how a profitable playing field in the solar PV market can be created by innovation. Laird also examines Biosolar’s effort to eliminate harmful toxins that exist in conventional petroleum-based backsheets of solar panels. Dr. David Lee, CEO of BioSolar, commented that various types of backsheets are available, but all of them are petroleum based.
BioBacksheets from BioSolar are available in different models including one for the thin film market (BioBacksheet-A) and two for the crystalline silicon market (including BioBacksheet-C). David Lee, in a recent DomesticFuel.com podcast, remarked that BioSolar’s main goal is to replace a petroleum component with something that is renewable. Cotton and castor beans provide photovoltaic manufacturers with a cost-effective alternative that does not affect the environment after completing its lifespan.
In a recent Grist.org article, Lee remarked that the solar industry will face similar problems experienced by the electronics industry and that these problems can be solved only if proper planning is carried out immediately. This comment was made in reference to the existence of toxins in conventional solar panels. Lee further added that the life cycle of the toxic chemicals in the solar industry should be studied starting from mining to manufacturing.