Dow Chemical announced that it will be establishing two new facilities to increase the production of ENLIGHT polyolefin encapsulant films. The facilities will be built in Schkopau, Germany and Map Ta Phut, Thailand.
The addition of the two new sites will triple Dow Chemical’s production capacity of specialty films utilized in photovoltaic modules. It also enhances the company’s capability to deliver encapsulant films globally.
Dow’s ENLIGHT films are ideal for both thin-film modules and crystalline silicon (C-Si) modules. The films are available in several commercial grades and they deliver superior electrical performance and greater module stability than traditional encapsulant products such as ethylene vinyl acetate-based encapsulants. Underwriters Laboratories has listed ENLIGHT films as “Recognized Components.”
The ENLIGHT solutions enable fast processing speeds that might support PV module manufacturers to decrease their conversion costs. In addition, these polyolefin encapsulant films can increase the performance and reliability of PV modules that result in longer service life. The company also helps to produce customer-specific formulations.
The new manufacturing plants will be designed using the technology deployed at the first manufacturing site in Ohio. The Map Ta Phut facility will be constructed using modern energy efficiency techniques and the plant will further expand Dow’s presence in Thailand. The Thailand operation is the company’s largest manufacturing capacity in the Asia-Pacific region. Similarly, the Schkopau plant will play a major role in the European market.
Dow also manufactures DOW POWERHOUSE solar modules and roof shingles for residential application, electronic materials for producing photoelectric cells, polyglycol heat transfer fluids, MOR-FREE solventless laminating adhesives and ADCOTE solvent-based adhesives.
Source: http://www.dow.com/