Further testing reveals BioSolar's BioBacksheet reduces number of steps in panel manufacturing

SANTA CLARITA, USA: BioSolar Inc., developer of a breakthrough technology to produce bio-based materials from renewable plant sources that reduce the cost of photovoltaic (PV) solar modules, reported on another beneficial characteristic of BioBacksheet, high surface energy, that lowers the manufacturing cost of PV panels by eliminating the backsheet surface treatment process.

Surface energy is a measure of the wettability of a surface. Low energy surfaces do not bond well with adhesives, whereas high surface energy surfaces attract and hold onto adhesives.

Most conventional backsheets have low surface energy, thereby requiring special surface treatments to increase their surface energy in order to properly bond with film adhesives and solar cells. This costs time, money, and adds to the risk of premature panel failure. The use of these treatments complicates both the manufacturing process and also inventory management.

BioBacksheet has a natural high surface energy. Therefore, no surface treatment is needed to produce a strong bond with solar cells. Manufacturers using BioBacksheet will not have to implement a special surface treatment process, or be concerned with the fixed and variable costs of backsheet surface treatments. Manufacturers evaluating BioBacksheet have given it high marks for its high surface energy.

“As a result of the exponential increase in PV installations, the PV industry has reached a point of relative maturity prompting solar module manufacturers to demand increasingly higher durability and performance from components,” said Dr. David Lee, BioSolar’s CEO.

“Manufacturers now recognize the need for PV modules that can absorb a beating from the elements and still perform reliably at a lower cost. For this reason, many of the top PV manufacturers that have engaged Biosolar are excited about BioBacksheet's potential to reduce the cost of solar panels in the short and long term,” said Lee.