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| “Flexible” solar power with industrial adhesives Steeply rising prices for the world's finite resources of petroleum are spurring the development of alternative energy-capturing concepts. The sun is one of the most important sources of energy. It is always there and its power can be tapped without restriction. But only a fraction of its potential has been exploited so far. The idea of integrating flexible solar cells into polymer roofing membranes is a major step toward low-cost and sustainable electricity generation. Henkel, as a system supplier, is playing a major role in establishing this technology, by providing tailor-made high-tech adhesives. Dark-blue, shimmering, thin-film solar cells consisting of amorphous silicon applied to a fine polymer film - these form the heart of a solar module. A number of bonding challenges had to be mastered before these modules could be joined together and protected from moisture. With its specific expertise, Henkel made it possible to create flexible solar panels for roofing membranes. California enjoys many hours of sunshine. This not only draws crowds of tourists, but also harbors great potential for environmentally compatible power generation. Solar Integrated Technologies (SIT), a company based in Los Angeles, took advantage of this location factor and developed SmartRoof!, a solar roofing system. Made of flexible, large-area polymer membranes, the solar panels can simply be laid directly off the roll onto flat roofs and connected to any number of other panels. Although the adhesives account for only a small part of the total volume of the SmartRoof!, the quality of the bonding is ultimately crucial, if the system is to function properly. A team from Henkel Technologies, composed of adhesives experts from Germany and the USA, developed special formulations of polyurethane-based Purmelt hotmelts and polyamide-based Macromelt hotmelts specifically for this application. The project was also an exceptional challenge from the organizational point of view. Work on the development of the adhesives, the application tests, and the certification and registration procedures was carried out at different places across the globe. Following the first major contracts in California, SIT is now vigorously targeting international markets to expand its business in solar roofs. Large surfaces in densely populated areas - the flat roofs of warehouses, shopping malls and office buildings - have remained unused up to now because they were not designed to carry the weight of classic solar panels. SmartRoof!, on the other hand, is so light that it opens up completely new perspectives in power generation. Germany, a country where there is a high level of environmental awareness, is a major marketing objective. The system doesn't need bright Californian sunshine to be effective; it also functions in more moderate daylight. In Germany, each 12 x 3 meter panel can supply up to 1200 kilowatt hours of electricity per year, which is sufficient to cover the average power consumption of a one-person household. write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Construction News :: home page |