May 3 2010
Oerlikon Solar and DuPont have partnered together to deliver a novel, reflective ultra-thin solar photovoltaic encapsulant sheet which will be a part of DuPont’s PV5200 Series. The novel PV5223 white reflective polyvinyl butyral (PVB) encapsulant facilitates easier production of thin-film photovoltaic modules which effectively capture and reflect sunlight through the module.
Encapsulants are essential to solar module producers for voluminous module integration and sealing. Choosing the right material increases the speed of module production and improves the durability and power output of the module.
Developed for use with the Micromorph technology of Oerlikon Solar, the DuPont PV5223 encapsulant, in comparison with paint, enhances light reflectivity by over 50% and achieves almost 94% reflectivity. The encapsulant having 0.45 mm thickness is approximately 40% light-weight than conventional 0.76 mm PVB encapsulants.
Oerlikon Solar’s senior manager for Module Development Ivan Sinicco commented that the PV5200 Series facilitates drawing of more power from the modules, reduced material usage and a cleaner environment.
Oerlikon Solar designs as well as develops end-to-end manufacturing lines and field-proven equipment for bulk manufacturing of silicon solar modules.