+44 (0)24 7671 8970
More publications     •     Advertise with us     •     Contact us
 
{megaLeaderboard}
{normalLeaderboard}
News Article

New circular solar panels reduce weight of roof installations by up to two thirds using EconCore technology

News

Jochen Pflug, CEO of Econcore, shows how light the new solar panels are – 14.5kg A similar one using the old technology would weigh over 28kg

EconCore in economic honeycomb sandwich material production technology, and Solarge, producer of lightweight, truly circular solar panels, will launch at JEC World a new lightweight, fully circular solar panel, reducing the weight of solar installations by up to 65% for rooftops.

Since early 2018 EconCore and Solarge have intensively collaborated to develop the next generation solar panel, removing weight by replacing heavy glass with lightweight honeycomb materials. The result is a fully recyclable alternative to more traditional non-sustainable materials. A panel measuring just over 2.66m2 weighs 14.5kg, compared to over 28kg with the old glass type model.

The companies are looking at how to replace glass traditionally used in solar panels with a composite, honeycomb structure and a polymer frontside. Honeycomb has fantastic mechanical properties, being very strong and very rigid for a given weight or density. Glass panels also need an aluminium frame, and again honeycomb strips this away, removing yet more weight.

Rigidity and impact resistance are both important properties for solar panels; as bending and impact, for example of hail stones, can result in breakages or decreased efficiency. The honeycomb panels can handle these stresses in different ways, not just through being more rigid.

The new Solarge circular panels enable improved resistance against UV radiation and has much better heat conductivity than glass panels. Solar panels are less efficient as temperature increases and honeycomb delivers a more effective means of controlling temperature.

The current range of panels is very difficult to recycle, whereas EconCore has recently developed a honeycomb core made from recycled materials. One of the possible designs focuses on a monomaterial solution where only the solar cells and the encapsulant would be a different material. And with the encapsulant material being thermoplastic, this would allow the splitting and sorting of the different constituents.

This development builds on Solarge’s traditional strength in sustainability with:

· Ultra-low carbon solar footprint: 25% better than conventional modules (in new factory);

· Reduction of material resources need to deliver the mechanical performance;

· 100% recyclability;

· Elimination of toxic materials such as PFAS.

Tomasz Czarnecki, Chief Operations Officer at EconCore, said: “Solar power is an important mechanism to strip carbon out of energy production. It’s a simple equation – the more solar panels we can deploy, the more solar energy we can harness, the greater the protection against climate change.”

“Making photo voltaics lighter, cheaper, and more efficient means many more buildings will be able to be harnessed to produce solar energy, and every roof that is limited by weight will be able to take more panels. And these panels are sustainable – this has huge potential in the battle against climate change.”

Huib van den Heuvel, CCO at Solarge adds: “We see a huge potential in rooftop application in the commercial & industrial building segment and the agricultural sector for lightweight solar panels, all over the world. Compared to glass based solar panels the production of this composite product is very easily scalable. We value the collaboration with ThermHex Waben as a manufacturing partner that supports our ambitious growth plans.”

New circular solar panels reduce weight of roof installations by up to two thirds using EconCore technology
RP Construction Services Acquired by Quanta Services
74MW GoodWe solar project serves as template for UK utility-scale farms
NextPower III ESG Secures PPA on 210MW Portugal Solar Assets
LONGi sponsors ATP Tour
Fluke’s new all-in-one test solution simplifies verification, performance and safety testing of photovoltaic systems
BayWa r.e. sells 42 MW Dalquhandy Wind Farm to Greencoat
Faraday Institution Refocuses Six Existing Battery Research Projects for Maximum Impact
Enphase Energy Begins IQ Microinverter Production Shipments with Flex in Romania
Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust reduces its carbon footprint with a DC-optimized PV rooftop installation
European Solar Alliance secures 110 members to launch industrial action plan 
AlsoEnergy Expands into Poland with PPC Certification
Edmonton Home To North London’s Largest Solar Array
EEW sells 42 MWdc SolarPV Project in Sweden
Solar-powered electric cars get go-ahead for Northumberland County Council
HJT solar module efficiency boost with new light redirecting film
EV owners in charge – thanks to innovative app feature from UK Power Networks and ev.energy
£1.8 billion awarded to boost energy efficiency and cut emissions of homes and public buildings across England
Alight appoints industry veteran Leixandre Mera as CFO
Girasole Energies Raises €96 Million From Mirova
Solar PV Accounts for Over 30% of Utility-Scale Renewables Projects Globally: EIC Report
Schletter Group doubles consolidated sales for 2022
Lightsource bp joins German electricity market
First 210mm n-type series monocrystalline ingot rolls off production line at Trina Solar zero-carbon park in Qinghai
Hanwha Solutions and Solarwatt enter into patent licensing agreement
Swansea University academics develop world’s first completely roll-to-roll printable perovskite solar cell
From Good to Great: How to Build an Effective EV Charger With Intelligent Device Connectivity
Solargis opens Singapore office targeting APAC’s complex, growing solar market
Top spots again for Fronius
TLT advises on sale of UK’s largest solar and co-located battery developers
Ingeteam and Magnon Green Energy strengthen their long-term relationship with a new biomass plant contract
Decarbonizing EU buildings could create new domestic industries, McKinsey & Company study reveals
×
Search the news archive

To close this popup you can press escape or click the close icon.
Logo
×
Logo
×
Register - Step 1

You may choose to subscribe to the Smart Solar Magazine, the Smart Solar Newsletter, or both. You may also request additional information if required, before submitting your application.


Please subscribe me to:

 

You chose the industry type of "Other"

Please enter the industry that you work in:
Please enter the industry that you work in: