A new glass coating technology developed by Exxosqel and Fraunhofer CSP could enable thinner, lighter PV modules by improving glass strength and reducing material use.
Germany’s Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics (Fraunhofer CSP) and startup Exxosqel GmbH are developing a thin-glass solar module that uses a special glass coating to compensate for the reduced mechanical strength associated with thinner glass covers.
“The developed thin-glass module is currently only a showcase demonstrator,” Fraunhofer CSP scientist Ringo Köpge told pv magazine.
The module uses 1 mm-thick front and rear glass panes, resulting in a total glass area of 300 mm × 200 mm. It incorporates standard solar module encapsulation materials and quarter-cells from bifacial M6 9-busbar PERC cells. The quarter-cells are connected in series, with each cell delivering approximately 1.58 W.
“The module was manufactured using a standard PV laminator, with modifications to process parameters including temperature, pressure, and system setup,” Köpge said.
