Solar power, which is the conversion of energy from sunlight
to electricity by using photovoltaics, has made major strides over the last few
years, and has established itself as a major player in the power industry.
Photovoltaic solar panels are used to absorb sunlight as a source of energy to
generate electricity. The modules present within the panels use light energy
from the sun to generate electricity through the photovoltaic effect. The
modules generally use wafer-based crystalline silicon cells or thin-film cells
that are connected electrically in series.
However, the choice of material that will coat the
photovoltaic cells is one of the most important aspects while choosing or
constructing a solar panel. Lately,
ETFE foil has been adopted as an additional outer protective layer for such
panels. This is a fluoropolymer that can withstand high levels of thermal
stress and chemical aggression. Moreover, ETFE shows a 95% UV permeability,
making it an excellent polymer for this field of application! In addition, ETFE
is also a very intelligent material in terms of its chemical properties. This
is because it is a self-cleaning material that doesn’t let dust and grime stay
on its surface. It washes it away during rainfall, thus staying protected, and
maintaining its transparency for its entire lifetime of more than 2 decades!
Furthermore, ETFE is also 100% recyclable, meaning it benefits even after its
life. Also, it doesn’t require any chemical solvents or petroleum products,
thus also being environment-friendly. Because of all these reasons, ETFE is
recommended for usage in particularly hot and dry environments and climates,
which makes it an ideal choice for solar panels.
