With the heightened investment in R&D in solar energy as a means to reduce carbon footprint and climate change, several new technologies are being developed to make solar energy one step closer to cost effectiveness with conventional energy sources.
The Energy Research Centre of Netherlands has reported 16.45 energy conversion for a full sized solar module, the highest ever recorded so far. Royal DSM N.V., the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company headquartered in the Netherlands, said that that its KhepriCoat anti-reflective coating system has contributed immensely to this world record..
The world record of 16.4%, achieved by the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN), was verified by global certification and testing organization TÜV. The previous record of 15.5% from 1998 was broken by an impressive 0.9 percentage point.
The new record efficiency of 16.4% means a substantial step in the ongoing quest to bring solar energy closer to "grid parity", the point at which solar energy is equal to or cheaper than conventional electricity. This would make it broadly accessible to both industrial and residential users without state and/or government subsidies. The successful utilization of DSM’s KhepriCoat anti-reflective coating confirms its performance leadership and will contribute to the speed of implementation of anti-reflective coatings in the rapidly growing solar energy market., Royal DSM company said in a press release.
Due to an ever increasing demand for generation of sustainable energy, solar power will play a critically important role in future energy supply. To enable these developments, innovative companies like DSM are constantly working on technology breakthroughs that allow a significant cost reduction in solar systems, the release added.
One such breakthrough has been the development of DSM’s KhepriCoat anti-reflective coating on solar glass, which offers the best performance in terms of light transmission, durability and flexibility. Application of the coating to solar glass sheets has shown an increase in light transmission of around 4%, leading to a transmission rate of approximately 96% for wavelengths in the 400nm - 1200nm range.
Commenting on the new record, Paul Wyers, manager of ECN Solar Energy, said: “The added value of anti-reflective coatings in improving the efficiency of solar modules is significant. We were glad we could make use of the latest technology in this field to set our world record. Our cooperation with DSM helped us achieve a premium conversion efficiency of 16.4% on a full-size solar module, which is a huge leap from the previous record.”
It may be recalled tha tRoyal DSM N.V., the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences company had recently regained its number one position in the chemical industry sector in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. In 2007 and 2008 it ranked amongst the top leaders in the sector.
DSM innovations are helping to address some of the world’s most pressing issues such as climate change, energy consumption and the need for a balanced food and water supply, the company said. Khepricoat is the second commercial product in DSM’s Functional Coatings program, which focuses on applying DSM’s proprietary coating technology platform to various applications. (Courtesy: Webwire)
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