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Product Briefings > PV Modules
New Product: Pasan SA’s new electronic load enables higher accuracy solar cell/module testing
Product Briefing Outline: Pasan SA has introduced a new electronic load that is more accurate and offers several additional features for the testing of solar cells and modules. This electronic load not only is fitted to module and cell flashers, but also can be combined with continuous light sources. Furthermore the equipment is suitable for outdoor testing.
Top 5 new product reviews of 2008
In our first full year online, we have steadily increased the number of new products we have reviewed and also seen the new products section gain increasingly greater traffic levels throughout the year. Looking through the traffic numbers, we have identified the Top 5 most popular reviews of new products for your enjoyment.
New Product: 3S XL Laminating Line handles high volume production with 40% cycle-time reduction
Product Briefing Outline: The new 3S Swiss Solar Systems AG XL Laminating Line is designed to provide a fully-automated high volume lamination process of solar modules at highest speed: cycle times can be reduced up to 40%, according to the company. The system has a total capacity of up to 34 modules per hour which equals an annual capacity of up to 60MWp. It combines two vacuum chambers with the patented hybrid heating plate of the 3S Laminator S3622 with a cooling press. The two vacuum chambers are separately controlled in terms of evacuation, ventilation and heating. The system can handle both c-Si and thin film sizes.
New Product: Scapa offers specialist product range for solar module framing
Product Briefing Outline: Scapa, a manufacturer of technical, self-adhesive tapes, has launched a range of products for the photovoltaic module manufacturing industry. The high-performance technical products are used in a number of applications including bonding/sealing aluminium framed modules, permanent bonding of the junction box, laminate fabrication, cell positioning and cable management. Scapa offers a wide range of double-sided adhesive coated polyethylene (PE), polyurethane (PUR) and acrylic foams (AFT) that meet specific industry standards and requirements.
New Product: Buerkle’s ‘Ypsator’ laminator has five openings for high-throughput
Product Briefing Outline: Buerkle GmbH has introduced its multi-opening module laminator that can process both crystalline and thin-film photovoltaic cells. The ‘Ypsator’ system laminates up to 20 modules per cycle. On a surface area of 3.5m² per opening and five openings, manufacturers can produce 10 photovoltaic modules per batch at the same time. The total annual capacity is around 500,000 modules, which corresponds to an annual power capacity of 40 megawatts.
Read more >>New Product: Coveme backsheet has a 5x lifetime extension
Product Briefing Outline: Coveme SpA’s new ‘dyMat PYE’ backsheet material is used to prevent electrical hazards and to grant high vapour barrier, thus avoiding power loss during the expected lifetime of the solar module. Coveme, in co-operation with DuPont Teijin Films, has developed a high grade PET inner layer with a lifetime five times longer than traditional polyester. Traditional solutions are multiple layer backsheets with fluoropolymers on the air side, polyester (PET) in the middle, and a third layer towards the cell side. Most of the job is done by the polyester film that must be protected by an outer layer versus the air side.
New Product: Transparent polymer protective covering from Enerize boosts PV module efficiencies
Product Briefing Outline: Enerize Corporation has developed a new design for photovoltaic (PV) modules using a proprietary transparent polymer material that is claimed to outperform glass conventionally used as a protective covering. The proprietary polymer material is highly transparent, and stable under UV and ionizing radiation exposure. The new highly transparent polymer material can be applied directly to the PV module surface at low temperatures, eliminating the need for the adhesives required with glass and some other polymers. Evaluation of the new Enerize polymer encapsulation materials has been carried out using PV modules that include up to 5 solar cells with a surface area of 72 cm2 each.
Read more >>New Product: GreenMountain Engineering’s Trac-Stat SL1 measures tracker performance
Product Briefing Outline: GreenMountain Engineering has launched its new diagnostic instrument for measuring tracker performance, the Trac-Stat SL1. The SL1 is a high-resolution datalogging sensor that mounts on a solar tracker. It records the angle of error between the sun and the tracker for use in the development of tracking, concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) and solar thermal systems. Utility-scale solar company GreenVolts is testing GreenMountain's Trac-Stat SL1 as part of its concentrating photovoltaic system.
Read more >>New Product: Transparent polymer covering from Enerize boosts PV module conversion efficiencies
Product Briefing Outline: Enerize Corporation has developed a new design for PV modules using a proprietary transparent polymer material that is claimed to outperform glass conventionally used as a protective covering. The proprietary polymer material is highly transparent, and stable under UV and ionizing radiation exposure. The new highly transparent polymer material can be applied directly to the PV module surface at low temperatures, eliminating the need for the adhesives required with glass and some other polymers. Evaluation of the new Enerize polymer encapsulation materials has been carried out using PV modules that include up to five solar cells with a surface area of 72cm2 each.
Read more >>New Product: Honeywell’s PowerShield PV325 backsheet protects PV modules from harsh conditions
Product Briefing Outline: Honeywell has developed a new material called ‘PowerShield’ PV325, which is designed to provide greater levels of protection to photovoltaic solar cells and modules that are located in more hostile environments. The material is UV-, moisture- and weather-resistant, and designed to also withstand the electrical load produced by the modules, which can operate at up to 1,000 volts of electricity. The material was developed primarily for rigid PV modules, which are specifically designed to feed power into a utility or local power grid.
