Evonik’s PMMA-based barrier film handles flexible thin-film roll-to-roll manufacturing

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

Evonik Industries has now developed what it calls the “missing link” necessary for continuous production of flexible solar modules. Evonik has introduced a highly transparent and also weathering-resistant barrier film based on polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) that can replace glass plates as a front cover.

Problem

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

If the barrier film protecting the solar cells from environmental effects is of plastic rather than glass, lightweight, flexible and therefore cost efficient thin-film solar cells can be realized with a number of semiconductor materials. They can be produced in a continuous roll-to-roll manufacturing process. The covering film should have the same properties as glass as far as possible. That means it has to act as a barrier to water vapor and oxygen, allow high light transmission, adhere well to solar cells, and be electrically insulating, flexible, and cost efficient. It should also have high weathering and UV resistance. In short, this would mean developing an entirely new system solution for the photovoltaics industry.

Solution

PMMA has many of the required properties such as high transparency, weathering resistance, and UV stability. To meet the other requirements, Evonik has been developing a multilayer film consisting of several functional and bonding layers and an outer PMMA layer. The ‘Rohaglas’ protects the underlying layers of the film very efficiently against the effects of weathering, thus ensuring the necessary longevity. In the spectral range relevant to photovoltaics, Evonik's new film achieves transmission rates of 88 and 90 percent in the short-wave and long-wave regions; these figures are comparable to those for glass plates.

Applications

Flexible thin-film solar modules.

Platform

Evonik say’s the multilayer film will more than satisfy the standard in regard to the damp heat test and UV resistance. Its water vapor barrier is 10-3 g/(m2d). The first customers are already testing the film of 1200 mm width for use in their flexible thin-film solar modules.

Availability

The film is currently being put through tests for compliance with the IEC 61646 standard for thin-film solar cells.
 

Read Next

July 10, 2025
German renewables company BayWa r.e. has secured a €3 billion (US$3.5 billion) loan for 'operational initiatives and pipeline expansion.'
July 10, 2025
US renewables developer Invenergy has launched commercial operations of 250MW Fairbanks Solar Energy Center in Sullivan County, Indiana. 
July 10, 2025
US solar residential installer Sunnova has entered into a stalking horse asset purchase agreement with Omnidian for some of its assets.
July 10, 2025
A report published by the US Department of Energy (DOE) this week claims that the previous government’s support for renewable energy could cause blackouts to “increase by 100 times” by 2030.
July 10, 2025
UbiQD has signed a supply agreement with First Solar to supply its fluorescent quantum dot technology for use in the latter’s PV panels.
July 10, 2025
Copenhagen Energy has partnered with Thy-Mors Energi to set up a 100MW PV and BESS project in Ballerum, about 370km from Copenhagen. 

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 22, 2025
Bilbao, Spain
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK