Ultra-Thin Solar Panel Attachable to Wavy Slate Roofing Launched

Copyright Kawaguchi Steel Industry Co.

Japan's Kawaguchi Steel Industry Co. announced in August 2009, that it commercialized its newly developed super lightweight and ultra-thin film solar photovoltaic system. With this system, solar panels can be installed even on such facilities which lack the structural strength to hold conventional solar photovoltaic systems.

The system consists of film-form amorphous solar batteries with plastic film platforms, whose module unit is only 1 millimeter thick (film: 0.1 millimeters / solar battery: 0.1 millimeters / fluorine steel plate: 0.8 millimeters), weighing one-seventh that of conventional solar batteries made with glass substrates.

Due to the fact that it puts little strain on buildings, the system can be installed over larger areas. With the company's unique processing technique, the thin-film solar batteries provide much more flexibility to the system, allowing to be installed even on curved roofs or exterior walls. The system can even be equipped on round surfaces.

With this system, solar cells now can be installed on conventional roofing such as long, folded-plate and wavy slate materials often used on factories and warehouses. Even for facilities such as school gyms which lack enough structural strength or those with complex roof shapes, there is no need for structural reinforcement or setup mounts to install solar batteries.

Kawaguchi Steel Industry Co. official website
http://www.steel-k.com/pv/english.html

Posted: 2010/07/28 06:00:15 AM