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DSM Functional Coatings (Urmond, The Netherlands) announced the further optimization of its KhepriCoat™ solar-anti-reflective coating system, described as a coating system for multicrystalline-silicon panels that facilitates an unprecedented conversion of 17%, based on work carried out by the Norwegian company REC and ECN (Energy Research Center of The Netherlands).
The solar anti-reflective coating system is reported to boost light transmission of solar glass sheets by approximately 4%, resulting in improved solar-module efficiency. The enhancement offers performance gains in terms of light transmission, durability, and flexibility, the company says. A dedicated research group at DSM is working on technology advances that improve efficiency while allowing significant cost reductions in solar systems, the company says.
The optimization of the coating system was the result of a joint effort between REC, which produces high-quality multicrystalline solar wafers, and ECN, which produced the cells and assembled the solar panel. DSM supplied the solar anti-reflective glass coating.
Remko Goudappel, business director of DSM Functional Coatings, said it is hoped that the optimization of the coating system “will accelerate the implementation of anti-reflective coatings in the rapidly growing solar-energy market.”
The anti-reflective coating system is the second commercial product in DSM’s Functional Coatings program to focus on the development of applications of the proprietary coating technology in diverse applications. In addition to coatings for solar panels, the company has introduced ®claryl picture glass, which is reported to make framed pictures clearer, emphasize colors, and reduce the amount of reflection. ®claryl is currently available in 15 European countries and has also recently been introduced into the U.S. market.
DSM Functional Coatings is a part of Royal DSM N.V., based in The Netherlands. More information: www.dsm.com.
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