Thin-film Modules with Aluminium-doped Zinc Oxide TCO Coating Offer High Flexibility
Glass Galore
Specifically developed for photovoltaic applications, Euroglas PV Flat is a high-strength and ultra-plane solar glass showing extremely low distortion. Different glass types serve different purposes in solar modules.
Euroglas PV Flat with precision-drilled holes (Photo: Euroglas)
Back glasses for thin film modules are produced from the company’s Eurofloat grade, whereas front glasses are commonly made from highly transmissive Eurowhite material. At the company’s Haldensleben production facility, glasses with a nominal thickness of 2.5 to 8 mm are cut to the desired size, edge ground, and precision drilled as required. The material can subsequently be finished to heat-strengthened glass or to tempered safety glass, according to customer needs.
A TCO coating transforms PV Flat carrier glass into Euroglas PV Hy TCO. Here aluminium zinc oxide is used as coating material instead of the more common tin oxide. Application is carried out “offline”, thus permitting ideal matching of optical and electrical specifications to module type. The sheet resistance can be selected between 4 to 20 ohm – according to specific customer needs.Furthermore, increased light trapping can improve efficiency in the red and near infrared spectral range.
Different haze values of Euroglas PV Hy TCO glass (Photo: Euroglas)
Due to optimized surface etching, the material shows both high optical transparency and high electrical conductivity, as well as good light scattering features. The absorption rate in the photoactive coat is therefore significantly increased and the energy efficiency thus enhanced. Haze values can be selected between 0 and 90 %. A barrier coating can be applied to prevent cationic diffusion from the glass into the coating system and thus improve the long-term stability of the solar glass.