Centrosolar and LANXESS develop new generation of solar photovoltaic modules

New technology and production method for photovoltaic modules encases the solar module without any subsequent crosslinking.

Centrosolar Group AG, manufacturers of solar modules, and specialty chemicals group LANXESS AG have developed a new production method for photovoltaic modules. This technology is based on a new EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) that encases the solar modules. Since mid-2007, the two companies have been testing modules based on the new EVA and comparing them with standard, conventional solar modules in a test facility that LANXESS has installed on the roof of its headquarters in Leverkusen. The new PV modules were manufactured by Ubbink Solar Modules, a member of the Centrosolar Group. Together with the EVA, new Levapren cables with a low flammability rating ensure the enhanced safety of the photovoltaic installation.

This new development is based on the EVM rubber Levamelt developed by LANXESS. During production of solar modules, the individual silicon wafers are aligned and fixed on the carrier. To do this, they have until now been embedded into rubber films before then being crosslinked at high temperatures. Crosslinking is necessary to ensure sufficient and durable bonding of the EVA to glass, the back panel and cells. “Levamelt does away with this laborious step,” according to Michael Herrmann, Technical Service Manager, Marketing & Business Support, and Dr. Gerd Bergmann, head of the EVM Center of Excellence, both from LANXESS Technical Rubber Products (TRP) business unit. “It is now sufficient to fix wafers between two self-adhesive Levamelt films only 0.5 millimeters thick without any subsequent crosslinking.” The advantage is that fitting is much faster. “The lamination process for the existing EVA is a critical point in solar module production as cycle times in the laminator are very long. The new Levamelt has enabled us to cut the process significantly,” explains Dr. Josef Wrobel, sales and marketing director at Centrosolar AG.

Unlike many other rubbers, Levamelt is light-permeable. UV radiation, important for generating power, is therefore not prevented from penetrating into the sealed wafers. A further benefit of the photovoltaic test modules is that Levamelt, as a saturated polymer, is particularly weather-resistant. In addition, it does not contain any components that turn yellow with the passage of time and could thus impair the performance of the facility.

As well as the wafers’ embedding material, new cables are being tested in the test facility. Solar cables from manufacturer Prysmian, a specialist in plug connectors and cable systems, have flame-retardant properties, resulting in a lower risk of fire. The material used is also more resistant to weathering such as snow, rain and heat. Prysmian certifies a service life of 30 years for the cables.

LANXESS and the former Solarstocc AG – now Centrosolar – together with its installation partner Bedachungstechnik Schroeder constructed the test facility for long-term testing of the new material at the Leverkusen Chemical Park in July 2007. 16 modules based on the new material are in competition with 16 conventional crystalline modules. The solar modules are inclined at 30 degrees and are pointed southwards. The results after six months of testing are promising: “According to provisional assessments, the performance of Levamelt modules overall is even somewhat better than conventionally manufactured products,” says Gerd Deimel, head of the CR (chloroprene rubber) business line in the TRP business unit and initiator and project manager for the solar test facility at LANXESS. “If the test facility continues to deliver such good results, this could be a milestone in the development of new technologies and materials for solar module production,” says Dr. Wrobel. “With a view to our own production facilities in Wismar, Paderborn and Doesburg, where production focuses primarily on crystalline solar modules, we are keen to see whether the differences in the performance of the two test facilities are significantly borne out in the long term.”

Centrosolar Group AG is one of the leading suppliers of smaller solar systems for private households and larger systems for industrial roofs. The company generated sales of EUR 221 million in 2007 and employs around 500 staff in several European countries and the U.S. The group has its own solar module plants in Wismar, Paderborn and Doesburg (Netherlands).

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