BioSolar announces plans for expanded line of BioBacksheets for photovoltaic module manufacturing
USA - BioSolar (www.biosolar.com), a developer of a breakthrough technology to produce bio-based materials from renewable plant sources that reduce the cost of photovoltaic solar modules, today announced plans for an extended line of BioBacksheets used to protect PV modules compatible with conventional c-Si PV modules.
“As the global demand for solar energy continues to increase, BioSolar is uniquely positioned to replace conventional petroleum-based backsheets for c-Si PV modules which represent more than 70 percent of the PV module market”
Conventional c-Si Photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturers will soon have two different types of BioBacksheets to choose from depending on their durability and cost requirements: 1) a multi-layer BioBacksheet-C for conventional applications and 2) a new mono-layer BioBacksheet product line for premium applications. These products were developed to meet the existing and future direct needs of potential customers.
The announcement represents the latest addition to a broad and growing portfolio of bio-based backsheet materials made from renewable plant sources that reduce the cost of solar modules and eliminate the need for dangerous toxins found in petroleum based backsheets currently in use.
Hailed by Design News (http://www.designnews.com/article/448409-Bioplastics_Eye_the_Sun.php) as one of the “companies developing plastics from sustainable resources, such as plants not used as food sources, for photovoltaic cells, which are on the verge of an explosive growth burst,” BioSolar recognizes the key to success is providing manufacturers various backsheet grades with corresponding price points to accommodate both the durability and economic requirements of each solar panel manufacturer.
The premium grade BioBacksheet will also feature monolayer construction, which eliminates the inner de-lamination issue associated with incumbent petroleum based backsheets, drastically improving its long term durability over traditional multi-layer backsheet construction. All grades of BioBacksheet will be less costly than their petroleum-based counterparts.
“As the global demand for solar energy continues to increase, BioSolar is uniquely positioned to replace conventional petroleum-based backsheets for c-Si PV modules which represent more than 70 percent of the PV module market,” said Dr. David Lee, CEO of BioSolar.
“Though it is generally expected to take time for a brand new PV component like BioBacksheet to reach a revenue stage, a complete line up of BioBacksheets will not only help BioSolar achieve meaningful revenue more rapidly, but expanding our line to better suit the practical and economical needs of manufacturers is yet another example of how BioSolar is innovating to make solar power a more viable and eco-friendlier alternative energy option.”
In a February 23, 2010 article on The Green Economy (http://www.thegreeneconomy.com/driving-down-solar-costs-with-beans-and-cotton/), Dr. Lee notes that “solar cells themselves are unlikely to see dramatic cost reductions while the ‘non-active materials’ that support the cells…are ripe for the kind of cost reduction that could make solar competitive even without government subsidies.”
The article calls his remarks “supported by a new report from Lux Research, Driving Down Solar Costs: Non-active Material Opportunities, which noted that while active semiconductor materials get a lot of attention, the “lesser-known non-active materials significantly impact module efficiency, and account for 15% to 48% of module manufacturing costs.”
