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Covestro in Solar: Retrofit Anti-Reflective Coating Service

Improve your solar park energy conversion efficiency with a power boost of up to 3% – and payback time of less than three years – with our acclaimed Anti-Reflective (AR) Coating. We can now retrofit your modules with this technology, fast, and cost efficiently.
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Today, our AR Coating is used in some 300 million photovoltaics (PV) modules (totaling 100GWp) worldwide – and counting. By covering the surface of the solar glass, this patented technology prevents more sunlight from being reflected away – delivering a potential 3% solar efficiency gain in the field.   

Now, we can retrofit this AR Coating for older PV modules in existing solar parks – without you having to replace the panels. Our experienced technical team simply sprays the coating onto your solar panels at a rate of around 10,000 panels per day. And that is it.

Proven solar power boosting technology

Our Retrofit AR Coating has already been extensively piloted by several well-known industry players. 
 
One of Europe’s largest PV park owners, Enerparc, recently unveiled the results of a two-year pilot program with this technology – and they are now set to extend this even further. The Covestro Retrofit AR Coating achieved a power gain of between 2-3% across some eight different power plants in Germany and Italy. 
 
Meanwhile, the solar asset management specialist WiseEnergy  has benefited from a 2-3% power gain in the field at one of the Italian solar parks it operates. “Covestro came in and applied their AR Coating very fast and efficiently on the existing solar panels,” said Diego Molina, Innovation Manager at WiseEnergy. “This was key because we need to balance the value of potential increased performance with the cost of installation.” 
 
The bottom line: this technology can improve the performance of older solar parks today by unlocking additional value, boosting internal rate of return (IRR) – and achieving payback time within three years. 
 
If you want to start getting more from your modules, get in touch and let us get to work.

Covestro came in and applied their AR Coating very fast and efficiently on the existing solar panels. Covestro came in and applied their AR Coating very fast and efficiently on the existing solar panels.

Diego Molina

Innovation Manager at WiseEnergy

Better together in solar

There is no innovation without collaboration, which is why at Covestro we are always looking for new partners. Our network of collaborators helps develop, test and launch solar solutions into the marketplace faster – whether it is leading institutes like Fraunhofer or CPVT, or the young innovators of tomorrow taking part in our SunRISE Challenge.  
 
The list of our partners is long, but some of the key ones include: Flat Glass Group, Wuxi Suntech, Fraunhofer ISE, CPVT, Greentown Labs and Apricum, as well as research partnerships with Technical Universities of Delft and Eindhoven, and Oxford University.

Here is a brief flavor of the work we are doing.

SolarKapital achieves a 4% power gain in Retrofit evaluation

An extensive evaluation of our Retrofit Anti-Reflective (AR) Coating with leading German solar player SolarKapital has resulted in a 4% power gain at its Türkenfeld solar plant in Germany. 

Major PV research partnership in China

China’s National Photovoltaic Center (CPVT) is renowned for its outstanding work in developing and testing the next generation of solar innovations. Now it will be working even closer than ever with Covestro Advanced Solar thanks to a three-year strategic partnership agreement between our two organizations. 

From materials to components, we are now collaborating with CPVT on a range of activities including laboratory comparisons, non-standard testing, technical training exchanges, daily quality control, certification market access, market promotion, and standardization. The goal is to develop smarter PV solutions that help us in our mission of making clean, affordable solar energy a reality for all.

Smart solar retrofitting with WiseEnergy

WiseEnergy is a leading, fully integrated technical advisor and asset manager that oversees all aspects of more than 1,300 sites around the world valued at around $6 billion. With so many solar modules in the field, the company needs to maximize the internal rate of return (IRR) of its assets – and one solution could be Covestro’s Retrofit Anti-Reflective (AR) Coating for solar glass. 

Testing & validation with Fraunhofer ISE

Accurate test data is essential in a relatively young industry like solar. Which is why we work closely with renowned industry experts like the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy (ISE) to validate the performance of our solar materials both in the lab and the field. 

This non-profit organization uses sophisticated software systems and techniques to analyze the performance of our solar test sites – taking into account a broad range of factors, not least how weather affects solar modules in the field.

Supporting start-ups with Greentown labs

We are proud to be a partner of Greentown Labs – the United States’ largest, cleantech incubator. 

By giving ambitious, cleantech and solar entrepreneurs access to our resources, knowledge and expertise – especially in materials science and its application – we are helping to nurture a new generation of companies and solutions with the potential to help the solar industry continue lowering the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). 

For example, through the SunRISE Techbridge Challenge I & II (which also includes participation from Fraunhofer CSE) we have identified some 100 innovative startups over the past two years and rewarded them with various resources and funding opportunities.

Get in touch with our experts

And discover how we can help you boost solar power.

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Request a sample

Hello! Thanks for reaching out to us.
We have received your request and one of our experts will be in touch with you as soon as possible.
In the meantime, feel free to discover our innovative material solutions!

Speak to you soon,
Your Covestro Team

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Request a quote

Hello! Thanks for reaching out to us.
We have received your request and one of our experts will be in touch with you as soon as possible.
In the meantime, feel free to discover our innovative material solutions!

Speak to you soon,
Your Covestro Team

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