US-based chemical corporation Dow has announced the completion and first shipment from its Enlight polyolefin encapsulant film production line in Schkopau, Germany.
Dow said that this expansion not only marks a substantial increase in global capacity, but also means that Dow is now able to supply its customers in the PV industry in Europe, Thailand and the Americas.
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Mark Saurin, PV platform development director at Dow noted: “We continue to be committed to helping our customers reduce costs and address the global demand for solar energy. The adoption of polyolefin technology is gathering pace due to its technical and economic performance benefits. A significant European customer base has requested our local production presence.”
Enlight films can embed the solar cells under wide temperature ranges and provide the opportunity to reduce, and potentially eliminate, bubbling under appropriate conditions and application.
Dow said that this can reduce waste and shorten the production time for module manufacturers by up to 30%. This provides manufacturers with the potential to produce solar systems more efficiently, thereby possibly lowering the consumer prices for solar systems in the long run. Crystalline silicon PV modules made with these films were also performance tested by TÜV Rheinland in Germany, and showed good performance in all test protocols.
