DuPont has released 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 GW of backsheet critically-damaged photovoltaic panels in the field in Europe alone which need to be taken out of service. The 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 a solution featuring our Tedlar film for backsheets, which has been field-proven for over 35 years,” says Stéphan Padlewski, regional marketing leader at 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.
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.
