The AMI Polymers in Photovoltaics 2012 international conference is to take place in Cologne, Germany at the Maritim Hotel from 24-26 April 2012. The conference will bring together industry experts for debating on economical and optimum polymer solutions for solar power.
The need for increasing renewable energy sources has led to the establishment of the solar photovoltaics industry around the globe. The durability of solar panels plays an important part in the widespread adaptation of the products. The photo-active component in the solar panels has to be encapsulated and protected.
At the conference, polymer industry experts will be discussing the various types of protective components, including back sheets for protection, encapsulants for silicon, new substrates for silicon deposition, sealants and adhesives, and lightweight alternative materials to glass used in front sheets.
The opening address on the challenges facing the solar power industry will be delivered by Dr Henning Wicht, while Dr. Ivan Sinicco, the head of module technology at Oerlikon Solar, will address quality control in manufacturing. Amut from Italy will present on extrusion technology for encapsulants and Dr Ronald Lange will talk about polymer usage and module design. Mr. Michele Vannini will be discussing the market share loss of fluoropolymers in backsheets.
For aiding module production, Renolit Belgium has incorporated adhesives into backsheets. DuPoint Teijin Films manufactures polyester films. Feron’s new backsheet that has coatings on either side of a PET layer has won a prize this year. For improving PV panel efficiency at a low cost, SolarExcel from the Netherlands has produced a textured coversheet. BASF has introduced light-stable polyurethane for solar panel frames. The Heriot Watt University has conducted research on doping luminescent materials for improving polymer performance.
Hanwha Solarone, a Chinese PV module manufacturer, EPFL in Switzerland and EDF Energy have studied encapsulants. Traxle Solar, MAP and Momentive Performance Materials, have driven the testing of silicone materials for encapsulants. Merck KGaA and the Chemnitz University of Technology are studying polymers for printed organic solar cells as polymers are considered to be a substitute for silicon in organic photovoltaics.
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