Dunmore has been awarded a $50,000 prize from the U.S. Department of Energy’s American-Made Solar Prize competition. Dunmore’s prize money will go toward the development and commercialization of American made transparent barrier films for the PV market.
BRISTOL, PA. (PRWEB) MARCH 18, 2020
Dunmore today announced it has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to receive a $50,000 American-Made Solar Prize as part of the “Ready, Set, Go” technology competition supported by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Dunmore’s entry “Transparent Polymer Barrier Films for Photovoltaic Applications” was selected from 120 applicants nationwide. Dunmore is now one of 20 semi-finalists selected to move onto the DOE “Set” segment of the competition where 10 winners will receive $100,000 prizes and $75,000 national laboratory vouchers to develop their product concepts into prototypes.
The prize money will go toward the development of transparent barrier films, with the goal of optimizing the efficiency, performance and service life of flexible, bifacial and copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) modules by providing high barrier properties coupled with a durable, transparent, polymer film construction. The bifacial market segment is expected to represent over 30% of the U.S. market by 2024. Traditional photovoltaic (PV) barrier films that incorporate opaque aluminum layers to provide a barrier for moisture and oxygen cannot be used for transparent modules and may not be technically or commercially feasible for certain module designs due to weight and electrical conductivity.
By leveraging new barrier coatings, fluoropolymer films (https://www.dunmore.com/products/fluoropolymer-film.html) and adhesive systems, Dunmore’s goal is to produce unique materials with superior barrier properties, transparency and durability for the benefit of selected commercial, academic and government research entities nationwide.
According to Jeff Blake, Vice President of Business, “Developing and manufacturing transparent barrier films will facilitate the growth and production success of the U.S photovoltaic industry by providing a high quality domestic material supply chain and technology partner. Dunmore’s industry experience and capacity will enable both early stage and established enterprises to scale in response to the growth of the domestic solar market.”
About DUNMORE
Dunmore is a global manufacturer of engineered coated and laminated films and foils. Dunmore offers film conversion services such as coating (https://www.dunmore.com/services/toll-coating.html), metalizing and laminating along with contract film manufacturing and custom film product development. Dunmore produces coated film, metallized film and laminating film substrates for the aircraft, spacecraft, photovoltaic, graphic arts, packaging, insulation, and electronics industries. Dunmore is a Steel Partners company, ISO 9001:2015 and OSHA VPP Star certified. For complete information on Dunmore’s products, services and industries served, please visit https://www.dunmore.com.
U.S. Department of Energy American-Made Solar Prize logo
Jeff Blake, VP of Business, says, “Developing and manufacturing transparent barrier films will facilitate the growth of the U.S photovoltaic industry. Dunmore’s industry experience and capacity will enable enterprises to scale in response to the growth of the domestic solar market.”
