New developments of transparent plastic materials in frontsheets and backsheets as valid alternatives to glass.
The strong development of new types of cells and modules, like bifacial ones, has on the one hand been accompanied by glass-glass solutions and on the other has encouraged many manufacturers of plastic films to develop new products that are able to compete with glass, providing a number of advantages.
In fact, by making use of both surfaces of the cells, almost twice as much can be produced for the same cost. One thing is certain: the photovoltaic bifacial cell allows more clean energy to be produced, lowering the cost of the kW produced.
To be competitive with the glass-glass solutions, the polymer based transparent laminates have been developed to avoid any problems with the structures of the glass/glass modules, such as premature fractures duration including cells breakage, reduced thermal conductivity, high logistics, transport and installation costs, as well as improving resistance to physical phenomena like hail, sand and UV rays.
So described below are the innovative new solutions designed and implemented by Coveme, to make plastic films the best solution for protecting not just the back part (backsheet), but also the front part (frontsheet) of the new generation panels. These flexible ultralight can be installed on roofs with limited load capacity, or used for new integrated solutions (BIPV) and those compatible with thin film technologies (CIGS, OPV).
More detailed information will also be provided on the development of the new coatings to improve resistance to abrasion and scratching, with a discussion on test procedures and the standards needed to ensure the guaranteed performance is achieved.
