As the low-carbon transformation accelerates, the development of clean energy is getting better and better, and the original breakthroughs and updates of technology have also entered the second half. In this context, niche and marginalized coating technology seems to have become a new breakthrough. Photovoltaic coatings, wind power coatings, ship coatings, new energy vehicle coatings, etc. have attracted widespread attention. Recently, the latest announcement of the State Intellectual Property Office showed that an application for a patent on “preparation and application of white fluorine-free photovoltaic coatings” was submitted. The patent involves the field of organic silicon coating preparation technology, with good adhesion and adhesion to photovoltaic substrates, high hardness, and good wear resistance. More and more material manufacturers are beginning to get involved in the field of photovoltaic coatings, including developing such technologies by sharing production lines with existing production capacity.
Helping solar panels improve efficiency
For many years, coating technology has mainly focused on protection and decoration, and the same is true for its application in the solar industry. It is attached to photovoltaic panels to protect and enhance the efficiency of supplementary lighting. For example, the double-sided coated photovoltaic backplane coating solution launched by German material manufacturer Covestro has a light transmittance of up to 93%, which helps double-sided modules reduce weight by 20% and generate 1.29% power generation gain. It has good aging resistance and can ensure the service life of the modules for more than 25 years.
According to Anand Khot, senior vice president of Covestro’s Coatings and Adhesives Division in Asia Pacific, “In the production of photovoltaic modules, by improving the application efficiency of modules and using alternative raw materials, the overall efficiency of photovoltaic module production can be effectively improved and improved.”
With the continuous change of application requirements and the continuous introduction of new products, coating technologies with excellent performance, low carbon and environmental protection, and cost reduction and efficiency increase have become the new development direction in the fields of clean energy such as solar energy and wind energy.
It is understood that the coating technologies developed by Covestro in the fields of new energy such as solar energy are mainly centered on improving photoelectric conversion efficiency, using alternative raw materials to reduce carbon footprint, improving process efficiency, and reducing energy consumption. The goal is to create higher value-added and lower-carbon products for the solar industry chain through alternative raw materials and more sustainable production processes.
Expected to replace photovoltaic panels
With the update and iteration of technology, photovoltaic coating technology is “jumping out” of the framework of being attached to photovoltaic panels, and is even expected to replace photovoltaic panels, and can generate electricity by simply attaching to the roof or surface of a building.
The Solar Action Alliance pointed out that this “coating” mixed with billions of photosensitive particles, like ordinary coatings, can be applied to the surface of an object to turn it into an invisible photovoltaic panel, and the surface of the object will generate electricity when sunlight shines on it.
At present, related research and development have been carried out one after another around the world. The University at Buffalo, State University of New York, has developed a photosensitive material for photovoltaic coatings; the University of Toronto in Canada has developed a spraying material that can make something like “solar wallpaper”; the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia has developed a photovoltaic coating made of titanium oxide and synthetic molybdenum sulfide, which can absorb solar energy and water vapor, thereby enabling the coating to generate electricity and provide electricity for buildings.
This new photovoltaic coating technology, similar to “paint” or “wallpaper”, has become one of the most innovative technology research and developments in the solar industry. This material is equivalent to a mixture of battery technology and liquid technology. It can be applied not only to roofs and walls, but also to wind turbines. When there is no wind, it can be turned into photovoltaic power generation. It can even be applied to the body of new energy vehicles to provide auxiliary charging and power supply services.
The University at Buffalo, State University of New York, pointed out: “Imagine if this spray material is combined with glass windows, it can capture every possible sunlight, enough to turn a house into a generator without pollution and emissions.”
“I look forward to the day when I spray paint on the roof and there will be electricity in the house.” Ilan Kramer, a member of the spray material research team at the University of Toronto, exclaimed.
Changes in solar power generation methods
Industry insiders believe that if the new photovoltaic coating technology is commercialized and mass-produced, it will completely change the way solar power is generated. Compared with photovoltaic panels, photovoltaic coatings are cheaper, more flexible, more widely used, and easier to operate. Traditional photovoltaic panels require special equipment and well-trained professionals to install, which is time-consuming and expensive, but photovoltaic coatings only require coating technology, and ordinary people can easily get started.
At the same time, compared with photovoltaic panels, new photovoltaic coating technology is more beneficial to the ecological environment. At present, extensive, high-pollution, and high-energy photovoltaic module recycling technology still dominates the market. The existing disassembly process consumes a lot of energy and causes environmental pollution such as wastewater, gas, and liquid emissions, posing a serious threat to the ecosystem of the disassembly site.
In addition, unlike rigid photovoltaic panels that must be installed on a flat surface, photovoltaic coatings can be applied to almost any surface, including curved or irregular surfaces. This provides a new path for buildings, bridges, roads, and even vehicles to use solar energy. Photovoltaic coatings can also be easily integrated into existing structures, making them an ideal solution for transforming old buildings with renewable energy capabilities.
However, the new photovoltaic coating technology is still in its early stages, and there are many challenges to overcome before it can become a viable alternative to traditional photovoltaic panels, among which efficiency is the main obstacle to commercialization. Industry assessments say that at least 10% conversion efficiency is required for the new photovoltaic coating technology to be commercially valuable, and the current best-performing formula has an efficiency of only 8%. A typical photovoltaic panel has an efficiency of about 20%, which means that about 20% of sunlight can be converted into electricity.
