CompositesWorld

JAN 2018

CompositesWorld

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45 CompositesWorld.com Simplifying the Solar Panel "We wanted to move beyond glass, and with ETFE films, our first version was light enough for a child to lift with one hand, and unique in design," says Goldman. "e pre-wired, rapid-assembly racks were designed for installation by a roofer or electrician, with no special solar training." One notable rooftop installation of SolarClover is the City Hall in San Jose, CA, US. Finding alternative materials Since that initial design, the company has continued to innovate, and has come up with a new and robust rectangular panel design. Illustration / Karl Reque Armageddon Energy's v2.0 Ultralight Solar Panel › ETFE, a fluorinated polymer film, replaces standard glass front sheet in solar cell units, significantly reducing unit weight and providing additional crack and breakage resistance. › Weight is further reduced by replacing aluminum solar unit back support with a polyamide honeycomb core panel between fiber-reinforced polyamide facesheets. › Very lightweight, robust panels have integrated connectors, machined into the composite core backing, for fast and easy deployment in remote, off-grid areas. Says Goldman, "e impetus was to double-down on the things that make us different." ose include low weight, durability, safety and the ability to produce custom panel formats cheaply. We're a technology company, so we can't afford to stand still." He adds that Armageddon decided to eliminate aluminum to reduce the risk of electrical shock, reduce cost and produce a more composites-intensive design that was safer, stronger and even lighter than its first panel. e new design grew from the company's decision to move away for the moment from resi- dential applications and to pursue a niche providing power for 1.7m 1.1m 17 mm thick Materials stack: • ETFE film • EVA encapsulate film (2 layers) • Solar c ells • EVA encapsulate film (2 layers) • E conCore substrate w/Vizilon facesheets Panels shown installed for UDRI military project with Sollega composite racks EconCore substrate allows electrical junction boxes to be machined into backface for easier packing/ handling 60 monocrystalline solar cells generate 300 watts 7.7 kg panel weight

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