Plalloy™-based FRP Solar Panel Mounting Frame Receives a Good Design Award

This solar panel mounting frame was developed jointly with NTT FACILITIES, INC.It has a unique design and is easy to work with thanks to Plalloy, a light-weight, durable, and flexible fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) material developed by AGC Matex Co., Ltd., one of AGC’s subsidiaries in Japan.

Plalloy has excellent resistance to corrosion and rust, in addition to light weight and strength. Using Plalloy™ as a material, the FRP frame exhibits excellent durability under severe environmental conditions such those experienced in coastal areas affected by salt damage, enabling construction of PV systems at various locations regardless of the environment.

Another notable feature of the frame is its newly-designed sliding structure that greatly increased the efficiency of installation work. Guided by small protrusions created on the frame, PV cells can be easily positioned and installed simply by sliding them from the upper part of the structural frame. It is the design flexibility of Plalloy that enabled such a workability.

Under the management policy “Grow Beyond,” AGC has set “providing Technology Solutions for Environment and Energy” as one of its growth strategies. AGC will continue to strengthen and firmly establish its foundations for growth by offering optimal solutions to customers.

Media Contact

Junichi Kobayashi, General Manager, Corporate Communications & Investor Relations

AGC Asahi Glass Co., Ltd.

(Contact: Tsuyoshi Odahara; Tel: +81-3-3218-5603; E-mail: info-pr@agc.com)

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[Outline of Good Design Award 2014]

1. Award-winning item: FRP-made structural frame for PV arrays

2. Principal implementing business: NTT FACILITIES, INC. and AGC Matex Co., Ltd.

3. Designer: Hirofumi Ooishi and Takumi Mizuno, NTT FACILITIES, INC.

   Toshifumi Suzuki, Makoto Kakiseko, Kosuke Oota and Kenji Nishida, AGC Matex Co., Ltd.

4. Judges’ comments:

“Photovoltaic power generation is growing in importance as a renewable energy source, and large-scale PV plants are being increasingly constructed. In addition, there is a need to install PV cells at locations with special environmental conditions such as areas affected by salt damage and areas where corrosive gases are present such as thermal areas and landfill sites. We highly evaluate the FRP-made structural frame for its corrosion resistance and light weight, as well for being easy to work with at construction sites, due to a newly-designed structure that shortens the installation process of PV cells. The lightness of the structural frame makes it easier to carry on to construction sites, enabling installation work even on steep slopes. This structural frame eases the requirements for establishing PV systems. We hope it will be used to build PV systems under various environmental conditions around the world.”