The National Glass Association (NGA) has published an updated Glass Technical Paper (GTP), FB39-25 Glass Properties Pertaining to Photovoltaic Applications, which is available for free download in the NGA Store. NGA volunteers update Glass Technical Papers (GTPs) through the systematic review ballot process on a 5-year cycle.
Among structural materials, glass has many properties that make it uniquely suited for use in the design and fabrication of solar cells, modules, and arrays. While many different technologies are used in the engineering and science behind these solar power devices, they all have one thing in common: they convert light energy into electrical energy through what’s called the “photovoltaic effect” or PV effect for short.
This paper is intended to assist both the glass fabricator and end user by providing an overview of the most important properties pertaining to glass used in photovoltaic applications.