Honeywell Electronic Materials has expanded its line of SOLARC anti-reflective coating materials to include a new formulation for easier application and less material usage.
The new product Honeywel…
Honeywell Electronic Materials has expanded its line of SOLARC anti-reflective coating materials to include a new formulation for easier application and less material usage. The new product Honeywell SOLARC RPV is, says the company, specifically designed to be applied through single-sided roller coating application, which is easier and allows panel manufacturers to use less material than alternative coating methods. SOLARC materials, which are transparent coatings that improve the light transmittance through the glass that covers photovoltaic, or PV, panels, are based on advanced materials used in semiconductor manufacturing. They therefore increase the PV module efficiency and power output, as well as significantly reduce glare from the glass, allowing the PV panel to better blend with its surroundings. SOLARC RPV coating achieves industry-leading transmittance capability while improving ease of application and reducing the amount of material needed, said Dr. Lin Zhu, senior product line director for Honeywell Electronic Materials. This is another example of Honeywell focusing its material development strength to address the PV industry“s need for higher performing panels at a lower cost per watt of output. Honeywell“s SOLARC coatings, which were introduced in 2009 with SOLARC SPV coating, reduce reflection significantly, resulting in more light reaching the solar cell, meaning higher power conversion. The new SOLARC RPV coating retains SOLARC coating“s advanced light transmittance and high durability. According to Honeywell, and thanks to the use of single-sided applications, it also enables perfect index of refraction (RI) matching between air and glass, while avoiding RI mismatch at the glass and EVA interface seen on double-sided coatings. SOLARC RPV coating demonstrates a 4% increase in transmittance at 550 nanometres, consistently produced 3-3.5% average transmittance gain across a broad solar spectrum, and is therefore relevant for PV cell operation, from 350 nanometres through 1,100 nanometres. The new coating also demonstrated superior durability in a broad variety of accelerated tests representing the harsh environmental conditions to which a PV panel is likely to be exposed during its lifetime.