Agfa Gevaert : Market introduction of Agfa’s UNIQOAT at PV SNEC to set a new standard in the contribution of backsheet to the efficiency and lifetime of solar modules.
April 19, 2017 at 01:05 am
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Press release
Mortsel, Belgium and Wuxi, China
April 19, 2017 8:00 AM CET
At the occasion of SNEC 2017, Shanghai, Agfa Specialty Products announces the launch of UNIQOAT, its next generation of polyester-based backsheet products. Backsheet films are used in the PhotoVoltaic (PV) solar module industry to protect the solar panels against environmental threats and insulate them to avoid power loss and electric hazard.
Capturing solar radiation
In the design of a PV solar module, one of the performance targets is the maximization of the light capture by the cells. In a completed module about one quarter of the radiation is not reaching the cells and cannot contribute to the generation of electrical power. The sun rays that enter a module via the gap between the cells are lost for power generation unless the backsheet can reflect them to yet reach the cells. Agfa's UNIQOAT backsheet achieves a level of reflectivity that is probably the highest in the market today and thereby offers increased power output of solar modules.
Increased durability and reliability
Today, the most used polyester-based backsheet structures feature two or three film layers that are laminated together using an adhesive component. Such laminate structure is the weakest link in a solar module because the adhesion strength between its layers is far lower than the bonding strength between the other components in the module. Cesar Campos, Global Manager of Agfa's Functional Foils Business unit explains: 'By design UNIQOAT eliminates the risk of backsheet delamination because it is conceived and manufactured as a single layer backsheet. During the extrusion process the hydrolysis and UV resistant polyester is surface-modified to face the challenges to which it will be exposed and to actively contribute to more reliable and durable solar modules.'.
Cost down potential
Unlike the laminated or offline coated backsheet structures, Agfa's UNIQOAT is manufactured in a one-step-process and delivers a single layer sheet, which implies a great cost reduction potential. As an additional advantage of Agfa's more efficient production process, the concept of UNIQOAT as a mono-backsheet eliminates the cost of a lamination adhesive and of managing a complex mix of lamination films from a variety of suppliers.
About UNIQOAT
UNIQOAT backsheets are offered to the market in three product types depending on thickness and weathering properties: UNIQOAT 315, UNIQOAT XR 315 for extra reflectivity and UNIQOAT XR 330F for additional protection.
Meets IEC requirements, and more specifically the new IEC DTI
About Agfa
The Agfa-Gevaert Group is one of the world's leading companies in imaging and information technology. Agfa develops manufactures and markets analogue and digital systems for the printing industry (Agfa Graphics), for the healthcare sector (Agfa HealthCare), and for specific industrial applications (Agfa Specialty Products). Agfa is headquartered in Mortsel, Belgium. The company is present in 40 countries and has agents in another 100 countries around the globe. The Agfa-Gevaert Group achieved a turnover of 2,646 million euro in 2015.
Agfa and the Agfa rhombus are trademarks of Agfa-Gevaert N.V., Belgium, or its affiliates.
Agfa Gevaert NV published this content on 19 April 2017 and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 19 April 2017 00:05:10 UTC.
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Agfa-Gevaert NV is one of the world leaders in the design, manufacturing, and marketing of imaging systems and products. Net sales break down by sector of activity as follows:
- Radiology solutions (36.9%). Agfa-Gevaert NV supplies radiology departments of hospitals all over the world with traditional X-ray film, hardcopy film and printers, digital radiography equipment and image processing software. Agfa's roots are in traditional medical imaging, but in today's healthcare market, digital radiography has become the dominant technology. All Agfa's digital radiography systems are offered with the company's leading MUSICA image processing software and its MUSICA workstation for image identification, acquisition and quality control;
- Digital Print & Chemicals (35.6%). Agfa-Gevaert NV supplies sign & display printing companies with a range of highly productive and versatile wide-format inkjet printers and dedicated inks, in addition to workflow software, cutting machines and inkjet media. Agfa produces classic film-based products, such as film for non-destructive testing and aerial photography, as well as microfilm and film for the production of printed circuit boards;
- HealthCare IT (21.6%). Agfa-Gevaert NV offers Imaging IT Solutions (The Enterprise Imaging platform creates a true imaging record for every patient, containing all possible images of the patient, regardless of the department and the facility that created them), Hospital IT Solutions (the leading Hospital Information System /Clinical Information System ORBIS, connects medical departments and administrative departments of hospitals into one virtual network), and Integrated Care Solutions (these solutions support collaboration across the borders of care organizations and medical disciplines and enable hospitals to actively engage with all stakeholders in the expanded care process, including physicians, informal care-givers and patients) ;
- Offset solutions (5.9%). Agfa-Gevaert NV is a leading supplier to the printing industry, offering innovative and reliable solutions. Commercial, newspaper and packaging printers around the globe rely on Agfa for the most extensive range of integrated solutions, from computer-to-plate systems with digital offset plates over color management and workflow optimization software to pressroom chemicals.
Agfa Gevaert : Market introduction of Agfa’s UNIQOAT at PV SNEC to set a new standard in the contribution of backsheet to the efficiency and lifetime of solar modules.