Power
In a Heated Photovoltaic Market, DuPont Plans Expansion
(greensource.construction.com - 08/23/2006)
By Russell
Fortmeyer
DuPont has installed a photovoltaic
array at its Wilmington, Delaware offices. |
click image to view larger
The diagram illustrates
the anatomy of a DuPont solar cell.
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In a sure sign of the growing demand
for photovoltaic technology in the U.S. market, DuPont announced
plans to expand its existing manufacturing plant in Fayetteville,
North Carolina.
The plant produces the Tedlar product, a film used to back
solar panels for stability and to increase efficiency. DuPont
says demand for the film is increasing 30 percent a year.
Many manufacturers and installers of photovoltaics have reported
supply shortages in 2006, especially in light of a temporary
scarcity of silicon for use in solar cells.
DuPont does not manufacture photovoltaic modules, but the
company is the leading supplier of eight products that go
into conventional crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules.
The company’s clients include General Electric, Sharp,
BP Solar, and Kyocera Solar.
“DuPont and Tedlar have played key roles in the solar
energy industry,” says Cynthia Green, vice president
and general manager at DuPont. “This expansion will allow
us to better supply customers in several global market segments
as we focus more of our science and innovation on improving
the life cycle of solar cells and reducing the cost per watt
of electricity to consumers and building owners.”
The company is investing more than $50 million in the North
Carolina facility, as well as an additional $50 million in
other facilities in North America. In addition to films, the
company manufactures resins for encapsulants, encapsulant
interlayers, and conductive pastes for photovoltaics (refer
to the diagram).
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