Date: 17 December 2024
Satinal, a leading Italian Company focused on the production of STRATO® Interlayers for safety glass lamination and STRATO® Solar PV encapsulants for the photovoltaic modules, has introduced STRATO® SOLAR PV UV Shift encapsulant in its product range since 2023. A groundbreaking light-conversion encapsulant film that caters to the demands of high-efficiency modules and diverse customer applications. Solar PV UV Shift has been thoroughly tested throughout the year 2024 and has achieved product homologation by different customers.
What is STRATO® SOLAR PV UV Shift?
STRATO® SOLAR PV UV Shift is a photoconversion film that employs a highly innovative down-conversion mechanism to convert deep ultraviolet radiation into visible light within the 400-550nm range, resulting in increased power generation from photovoltaic modules.
Unlike traditional encapsulants, that exhibit accelerated degradation when exposed to prolonged UV radiation, especially in high-humidity environments, STRATO® SOLAR PV UV Shift boasts impressive long-term performance against UVID (UV-induced degradation), with minimal degradation in peel strength. Indeed, it provides a cross-linking rate over 90%, an adhesion level over 150 N/mm, outstanding resistance to potential induced degradation (PID), low corrosion, and exceptional UV stability.
STRATO® SOLAR PV UV Shift is specifically engineered to safeguard PV modules from the detrimental effects of UV radiation. Furthermore, STRATO® SOLAR PV UV Shift actively improves module performance by transforming harmful UV light into energy-enhancing light, differently from other products that can only transmit or cut UV radiation.
PV modules scientific background
The light that hits our Earth from the sun is made up of many different wavelengths across the electromagnetic spectrum. Of this light, only 42-43% is visible to the human eye. However, all light, even light outside the visible range for humans, is composed of photons. Solar panels work by converting these photons into energy. The vast majority of solar panels are made and designed of materials that convert primarily visible light radiations, because visible light makes up most of the light that hits the Earth and has a higher energy concentration than infrared.
The shorter the wavelength, the more energetic the radiation and the greater the potential for harm. UV radiation that reaches the Earth’s surface is in wavelengths between 290 and 400nm (nanometers). This is shorter than wavelengths of visible light, which are 400 to 700nm. Little to no radiation below 290nm can reach the Earth’s surface, therefore it is completely useless to maximize the light uptake in the cells at UV cut-off below 290 nm.
The photons from different types of light have different energy concentrations. Photons from UV light have too much energy and a lot of this energy is wasted as heat. This heat warms the photovoltaic panels, which decreases their efficiency in the long term and deteriorate their performance.
So, it is strongly suggested to not rely on experimental encapsulants on the market that aim at maximizing the capture of light from the ultraviolet spectrum below 290nm.
It is well known in the PV industry since more than 10 years that Solar encapsulants are divided into UV cutting and UV transmitting films. UV cutting films have typical UV cut off at 360nm, while UV transmitting films can transmit UV light from 290-300nm.
Beware of unrealistic claims that express UV light absorption in the range below 290nm, because these light wavelengths do not even reach the Earth’s surface.
Photovoltaic modules are exposed to the solar irradiation that reaches the earth’s surface, which includes UV light. UV radiation is well known as a degradation factor for polymeric materials, as used for encapsulation of PV cells.
With STRATO® SOLAR PV UV Shift, the majority of deep UV photons (290-380nm) are not absorbed or transmitted, but they are transformed into visible light (400-550nm), thereby improving the spectral response of photovoltaic cells and resulting in higher power generation compared to UV-transmissive or UV cutting films. This conversion process is achieved without compromising module reliability, as STRATO® SOLAR PV UV Shift offers reliable performance to weathering exposure.
It is always very important to consider the degradation effects of UV light in a solar PV module and Satinal strongly suggest to rely on experienced supplier of PV encapsulant, not relying on experimental products on the market with no proven background in the industry.
Why choosing STRATO® SOLAR PV UV Shift
STRATO® SOLAR PV UV Shift offers a groundbreaking solution by converting harmful UV rays into productive light. This innovative approach not only shields the module but also significantly boosts energy generation. This encapsulation technology revolutionizes PV module performance. By absorbing UV radiation and re-emitting it as blue light, STRATO® SOLAR PV UV Shift broadens the module's spectral response, leading to a measurable improvement in energy yield.
Contacts:
info@satinal.it
+39 031 870573
Satinal.it
600450
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