Endurans’ SE POE HT and SE POE UV encapsulants offer strong mechanical stability, low moisture uptake, and UV cut-off options tailored at 300 and 380 nm. (Source: Endurans Solar) 
Technology

Endurans Debuts POE Films With Crosslinking Cure

SE POE HT and SE POE UV represent Endurans’ non-EVA entries in the TaiyangNews Backsheets and Encapsulation Market Survey

Shravan Chunduri

  • Endurans listed SE POE HT and SE POE UV in the latest TaiyangNews survey, both introduced in 2024, and based on polyolefin elastomer

  • The films provide tensile strength of at least 15 MPa, elongation of at least 500% and support lamination at 150 to 160°C

  • SE POE HT features a UV cut-off at 300 nm, while SE POE UV offers a higher cut-off at 380 nm

Endurans, a US-based encapsulation material supplier, appears for the first time in the non-EVA section of the TaiyangNews Market Survey. The company has submitted data for 2 newly introduced POE-based encapsulants – SE POE HT and SE POE UV – both launched in 2024 and based on crosslinking cure technology. They are available in a standard width of 1,120 mm but can be availed in widths ranging from 200 to 2,200 mm and a thickness range of 200 to 800 μm. They have a high tensile strength of ≥ 15 MPa in both MD and TD directions and an elongation of ≥ 500%. The shrinkage rate is < 3% in MD and < 1.5% in TD. Glass adhesion strength is rated at ≥ 60 N/cm and≥ 40 N/cm for backsheets. Processing conditions are flexible, with a lamination temperature of 150 to 160°C, and a vacuum time ranging from 1 to 8 minutes (depending on BOM and laminator type). For effective encapsulation, a gel content of ≥ 60% is utilized.

In terms of performance, both variants achieve light transmittance of ≥ 91% for wavelengths between 380 and 1,100 nm. The water absorption of both films is ≤ 0.05 wt%. SE POE HT offers a UV cut-off at 300 nm, while SE POE UV provides enhanced UV protection with a cut-off at 380 nm. Both encapsulants have a refractive index of 1.49 and a volume resistivity of >1 × 1016 Ω cm.

At the TaiyangNews Reliable PV Module Design 2024 conference, Endurans Solar presented its proprietary EPE encapsulant technology, which replaces the conventional POE core with a higher-melting polyolefin (PO). This modification aims to reduce cost, lower the risk of acid formation, and enhance sustainability. The new EPE design demonstrated up to 40% lower water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) compared to standard EPE, along with improved PID performance, high stiffness, low shrinkage, and reduced risk of cell cracks. The non-cross-linked structure also retained strong adhesion in in-house testing (see Endurans Solar's presentation here).

The text is an excerpt from the latest TaiyangNews Market Survey on Backsheets & Encapsulation Materials 2024/25, which can be downloaded for free here.