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Sharp has used its 53 years of solar panel innovation to develop this latest product, which offers reduced energy loss due to lower dust coating than traditional frame-equipped panels. The units make use of Sharp’s thin-film silicon technology, which the company has been working on for 32 years, however it is the unique frameless design which helps to reduce the dust layer and water penetration into the panel which increases energy loss in traditional solar units.

With 2012 designated as the ‘International Year of Sustainable Energy for All’, an initiative driven by the United Nations General Assembly which Sharp has pledged its support to, the introduction of products which can be deployed in many applications is significant. The World Future Energy Summit provided the ideal platform to demonstrate these ways in which solar can be brought to everyone, with Sharp’s latest line-up announced at WFES also bolstered by application based package solutions which provide complete systems.

The application based package solutions include the Home IPP (Independent Power Producer), Solar Energy Systems for Water, Solar & Diesel Power Energy Systems, and Financial packages for Utility-Scale solar power.

“Solar technology is a major way of creating energy while reducing usage and dependence on fossil fuels. Sharp has been investing in developing the best solar technology for more than 50 years, and this latest product brings a new degree of efficiency to solar power, making it an even more viable and sustainable option for meeting the Middle East’s growing energy needs,” said Hiroshi Sasaoka, Chairman, Sharp Middle East and Africa. “The World Future Energy Summit demonstrates the need and interest in moving to greener forms of energy, and it’s this kind of platform which brings innovators together to help shape the technology and initiatives which will power the future.”

Frameless glass-glass solution

The thin-film silicon solar panels announced by Sharp take a different approach to the design of the photovoltaic (PV) solar unit. The unique frameless design means no ridged frame dividing the panels to which dust and sand gets stuck to and mounts up on. This means minimized output loss due to lower dust accumulation, reducing cleaning costs. The gaps between each module allow water to run off between them, where the frame on a traditional PV unit can channel the water behind the glass plate and into the PV cell itself.

The unit is constructed using a glass-glass sandwich construction – with the PV cell held between two glass sheets, while encased in Sharp’s high-barrier material made by DuPont. This construction reduces moisture vapour transmission, meaning the cell is less likely to deteriorate due to moisture infiltration, ultimately prolonging the life of the panel. Its long-term viability is increased even further by less soldering points, which often prove to be a major cause in module failure. A lower amount of silicon used in the production also makes the thin-film glass-glass unit more environmentally friendly.

Solar at the heart of Sharp

Sharp Corporation has solar power at the core of its business, not only in the products it produces, but also as part of its manufacturing chain. Solar power was integrated into the company’s factories when they were constructed, meaning Sharp’s products are produced as part of a green product cycle right from the beginning. Due to this, Sharp understands how solar power can be integrated into the operations of businesses and how to see the benefits.