However, the cost of these plastics has been steadily increasing due
to rising oil prices, which runs counter to the industry’s effort to
reduce costs to make solar energy competitive with conventional fossil
fuel. Furthermore, petroleum-based plastics are not environmentally
neutral.
they are derived from renewable plant sources, their costs are not tied
to high oil prices. In the past, conventional bio-based materials have
not been successfully used in solar cell applications, due to their low
melting temperature and fragile molecular structure. Conventional
bio-based materials available today will not withstand most existing
solar cell manufacturing processes.
a low cost bio-based material that could dramatically reduce the cost
of photovoltaic cells. This breakthrough material meets the
manufacturing and operating requirements of solar cell systems and is a
result of innovative enhancements to some widely available bio-based
polymers. The tough new material will be able to offer the durability
and environmental characteristics of conventional petroleum-based
plastics, such as electromagnetic properties, mechanical strength,
dimensional stability, and weatherability required by solar cell
applications.
can be used as the backsheet, substrate as well as superstrate, the
technology will reduce the cost of solar cells, whether they are
produced using crystalline silicon, amorphous silicon or other solar
technologies.
reduction over the materials being replaced can be in excess of 50%.
The current market for plastic components and layers exceeds $1
billion, and grows rapidly. The estimated market for backsheet products
alone is currently at $300 million.