DuPont Photovoltaic Fluoromaterials (DuPont) announced it has developed a new backsheet technology designed to enhance the quality and manufacturability of crystalline silicon solar modules by improving adhesion to encapsulants, resistance to ultraviolet (UV) light and enabling faster throughput in the backsheet production process.

The company has recently signed a licensing agreement with Taiflex Scientific, who plans to offer its Solmate backsheet, powered by the new DuPont TPNext laminate. This technology is based on continued innovation with DuPont Tedlar polyvinyl fluoride (PVF) film, the industry standard for high-performing protective backsheets for solar modules.

"Tedlar film is the only material with 25 plus years of proven in-field performance in photovoltaic modules, and we're pleased to be able to leverage the technology with TPNext laminate," said John E. Odom, global business director - DuPont Photovoltaic Fluoromaterials.

"We've been innovating with Tedlar film for 50 years, and this latest introduction represents an important milestone toward enabling the photovoltaic (PV) industry to reach grid parity faster by providing next-generation, high quality, durable Tedlar film and backsheet constructions. We are confident that this collaboration with Taiflex Scientific will be highly successful due to their commitment to Tedlar film-based backsheet, our shared commitment to technology innovation and their proven track record of speed in implementation."

TPNext is a proprietary laminate consisting of Tedlar film, polyester and a unique extrusion-coated tie-layer from DuPont that reduces the use of organic solvent-based adhesives, and delivers superior and consistent adhesion to EVA encapsulants as well as improved UV resistance.

TPNext laminate, a single protective layer backsheet, is designed to complement the industry-proven standard construction of Tedlar film, polyester, and Tedlar film known as TPT.

"We were pleased to work in close collaboration with DuPont to bring TPNext laminate to the market," said John Chiang, president - Taiflex. "We feel this type of technology has the potential to help reduce overall system costs while enhancing performance."

Tedlar PVF film has set performance standards for 50 years. It consistently outperforms alternative products for photovoltaic backsheet and is recognized as the PV industry standard. Tedlar is the only film with 25 plus years of proven field experience. Its weatherability properties enable superior, long-term energy output performance for PV modules.

Related Links
DuPont Photovoltaic Solutions
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