Building integrated PV (BIPV) solar technology company Sunman Energy has brought online what it claims to be the world's 'largest' production facility for lightweight solar PV modules for BIPV applications with 1 GW capacity.
The production line has come online in YangZhong city of Jiangsu province in China and was recently inaugurated by the management led by the company's Chairman and Founder Dr. Zhengrong Shi in the presence of local authorities.
Sunman deploys its eArc technology to make 'world's 1st glassless solar module' combining crystalline silicon solar cells, encapsulating these with the company's patented polymer composite material that protects the modules from possible cracks during handling and installation.
Such lightweight modules, weighing not more than 5 kg, can be deployed for commercial and industrial (C&I) rooftops and also for off-grid PV applications. The company believes the modules can be used for a large number of roofs that aren't sturdy or spacious enough to hold heavy solar panels which expands their market for distributed generation applicability.
Having founded Suntech, which at the time was the world's largest module producer, Shi is an alumnus of the University of New South Wales in Australia, where he studied under world famous solar scientist Professor Martin Green who had a word of encouragement for Sunman's technology. In a video message sent for the inauguration ceremony, Green agreed that lightweight modules are 'obviously' a market with huge potential.
Dr. Zhengrong Shi discussed his company's eArc technology and vast potential for ultra-light, flexible, glassless modules globally during TaiyangNews Solar Module Innovations Conference (see Day 1: Solar Module Innovations Conference). The recording of his exclusive interview with TaiyangNews Managing Director Michael Schmela is available on our YouTube channel here.