Funding Opportunity: Technology to Market 2
SunShot Subprogram: Technology to Market
Location: Fayetteville, AR
SunShot Award Amount: $679,413
Awardee Cost Share: $169,853

This project is further developing an antireflective coating for the top glass of solar modules. The coating has a refractive index closer to that of glass, leading to higher transmission and higher module power. This project allows WattGlass to test the coating on panels from a number of manufacturers in order to gauge wattage improvements achieved over competing coatings. Modules with the coating will be tested in various regions to evaluate increases in panel performance due to the antireflective coating and reductions in soiling rate due to the superhydrophilic nature of the coating.

Approach

The project team will ensure the coating technology passes all standard durability and reliability requirements and determine the best regional locations throughout the country to test its technology. Because the coating can be shipped in concentrated form and diluted onsite, the team will evaluate its shelf life to guide production and distribution strategies.

Innovation

This project will allow WattGlass to bring its antireflective coating one step closer to the solar market. The technology uses water-based chemistry that is cheaper than current alternatives, resulting in a self-cleaning and anti-fog surface that could lead to 6 cents per watt improvements over today’s standard antireflective coatings. This has ability to reduce the levelized cost of solar energy 3-6%, with additional reductions possible due to reduced maintenance and soft costs because of the self-cleaning aspect of the technology.