Yesterday, Biosolar, Inc. announced that its BioBacksheet production samples have passed all of the necessary Underwriters Laboratories (UL) initial material property tests, and that it expects the product to gain official full UL certification in the near future. BioSolar is the first company to introduce bio-based materials to solar cell production, replacing plastic, petroleum based components. This material is produced from renewable plant products, and will have the added benefit of reducing solar cell cost per watt.
The UL material tests included material identification, partial discharge tests, flame resistance, as well as other tests that are required for materials to be used in solar cells. BioBacksheet’s final UL test will be the RTI, or relative thermal index test. This is to determine the temperature at which a specific component or material starts to break down due to stresses introduced by heat. BioBacksheet is expected to receive a provisional RTI value 90 days into the testing process. Once that testing process is completed, BioBacksheet can be submitted for final certification in preparation to be sold on the general market.
Dr. David Lee, BioSolar’s CEO, commented, “We are excited to receive positive test results on all of our material properties from UL. We are now in the final stretch before our ‘green’ and lower cost BioBacksheet can be commercially made available to solar panel manufacturers. Based on our internal tests, we do not anticipate any problems in achieving an RTI rating that exceeds the requirements of solar manufacturers.”
“Since beginning our sales and marketing efforts in 2010, we have received tremendous interests from solar manufacturers, large and small, from all over the world. That was a great validation of our vision and our innovation. However, new UL certification requirements delayed our commercial engagements with them. I am excited to report that we are close to being back on track in marketing the world’s first bio-based backsheet for solar panels. The benefits of BioBacksheet include green materials, lower cost, increased panel power output, and higher durability compared to conventional petroleum based counterparts on the market today,” added Dr. Lee.
Let us hear your thoughts below: