Project Name: Development of Specially Designed, Dustproof, Non-Reflective, and Anti-PID Thin Glass for the Photovoltaic Industry
Responsible APYK: TÜRKİYE ŞİŞE VE CAM FABRİKALARI A.Ş.
Project Principal Investigator: Dr. Burak OKAN
Project Information:
In the amount of usable energy produced by photovoltaic (PV) panels, panel cover glasses are among the determining factors as well as the efficiency of the cells. In our country, where there are very different environmental conditions, and in the MENA countries where intensive use of solar energy is expected, dust accumulation significantly affects the energy to be produced, and the cleaning costs, which must be done very frequently, significantly affect the economic feasibility of the systems. In addition, as a result of the migration of sodium ions present in cost-effective glass types due to continuous exposure to electrical potential, charge accumulation occurs on the glass surface. This accumulation reaches amounts that will affect the potential distribution within the solar cells over time and causes a decrease in conversion efficiency. This effect is called “potential induced degradation” (PID) in the literature. The process of developing anti-PID properties is called processing that will prevent or neutralize the migration of sodium and other valence ions in the glass or charge accumulation on the surface. As an alternative to anti-PID application, the use of quartz-like glasses purified from impurities such as sodium in panel covers is not considered in the near future due to costs. Therefore, it is necessary to develop alternative surface treatment techniques that will give anti-PID properties to glass types suitable for being cost-effective panel covers. It is also very important that the panel covers are low in optical reflectivity and light. In short, for sustainable energy, panel glasses must be dustproof, non-reflective, have anti-PID properties, and be thin. The main goal of our project, which is the development of a lightweight panel glass with anti-PID, dustproof, and low reflectivity surface structure under the “advanced materials” heading within the Technology Acquisition Roadmap (TKYH) determined within the Turkey Photovoltaic Technologies Platform (TFTP) of the 1004 program, in partnership with Türkiye Şişe ve Cam Fabrikaları A.Ş. (ŞİŞECAM), the leading domestic and national glass industry, and the Middle East Technical University Solar Energy Research and Application Center (ODTÜ-GÜNAM), which has domestic and national solar cell production technology.
