Ohio Department of Development awards research grant to Ferro Electronic Materials to support the development of advanced sealing systems for solar cells that exhibit greater durability in the field. Ferro will explore adaptation of its glass frit sealant material to sealing thin-film solar at lower manufacturing temperatures. …
… “In this project, Ferro will engineer a vitreous frit system to provide reliable air-tight and water-tight seals for second- and third-generation thin-film solar cells. Ferro will collaborate with the Edison Welding Institute, StrateNexus Technologies, and The Ohio State University, all of Columbus, Ohio, in developing, testing and commercializing this new technology. If successful, the new sealing materials will enable Ferro to solve a significant problem with second- and third-generation thin-film solar cells. As with all solar cells, thin-film cells require a hermetic seal to operate reliably for their expected lifetimes of 20-plus years. This can be a problem because most current thin-film solar cell modules are designed to be sealed with organic sealants that typically lose their hermeticity in time, especially if exposed to sunlight containing UV radiation. ” …
Via Ferro Electronic Materials: Low-Temperature Sealing Methods for Thin-Film Solar Cells
Ohio focuses investment on its nascent solar industry. …
Third Frontier of Ohio’s Photovoltaic Investment Program: “The goal of the Ohio Third Frontier Photovoltaic Program (PVP) is to accelerate the development and growth of the photovoltaics industry in Ohio by direct financial support to organizations seeking to: investigate near-term specific commercial objectives with respect to products, processes, or services; ”