GENEVA, Switzerland — DuPont de Nemours International Sàrls launched DuPont™ Tedlar® PV Rescue Tape, a new solution aimed at repairing photovoltaic panels with damaged backsheets and prolonging service lifetime at a fraction of the cost needed to replace modules.
Tedlar® PV Rescue Tape is a composite tri-layer structure composed of a DuPont™ Tedlar® polyvinyl fluoride film outer layer, a polyester core and an inner layer made of butyl rubber for a strong adhesion to the degraded backsheet.
It is estimated there are 6 gigawatts (GW) of backsheet critically-damaged photovoltaic panels in the field in Europe alone, which need to be taken out of service. These panels were made with certain types of polymeric backsheet materials that degraded to the point of representing wet current leakage hazards and operational safety risks.
"Given the considerable market for this solution in Europe and the lack of durable and effective repair products, we saw this as an opportunity to put our materials science expertise to work, by developing an innovative solution featuring our Tedlar® film for backsheets, which has been field-proven for over 35 years," said Stéphan Padlewski, regional marketing leader, EMEA, DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions.
The backsheet repair tape and service will initially be commercialized in Europe through a new collaboration between DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions and sc-refit GmbH, an affiliate of Suncycle GmbH, a company that specializes in aftersales solutions, test and repair products and processes for the photovoltaic industry.
"We are delighted to be partnering with DuPont to support this much-needed solution for the PV market. There is great demand from both module manufacturers and asset owners for repair products which can help extend the usable lifetime of solar panels," said Roberto Gacitua, CEO, sc-refit GmbH. "Our specialized repair process, customized for Tedlar® PV Rescue Tape, reduces costs versus a full replacement of affected panels. It also helps to improve overall returns on investment of solar assets, making it a win-win solution for everyone involved."
Application of the DuPont™ Tedlar® PV Rescue Tape on panels with severely cracked backsheets will either be performed in the field or centralized at sc-refit GmbH's repair centers via a specialized backsheet repair device designed by the firm. In addition, sc-refit GmbH trains, accredits and operates a network of services partners to accelerate the deployment of the solution.
Visit photovoltaics.dupont.com and tedlar.com for more information.
