Electricity generated by solar panels makes use of a thoroughly tested and proven technology that has been used for the past 40 years. A cross section of an electricity generating solar panel comprises a sandwich consisting of:
- Special glass (tempered and low in iron to achieve a higher transparency)
- EVA (a two-component product, turning liquid when exposed to heat)
- Solar cells (Mono-crystalline or poly-crystalline cells)
- EVA (a new layer of the two-component product)
- Tedlar (a backing material that is UV resistant for at least 30 years)
This” sandwich” composition then undergoes a lamination process whereby the solar panel is subjected to controlled heat within a vacuum (<1 millibars). This process ensures both that the EVA material turns from a solid into a liquid form as well as providing a negative pressure in the lamination process so that all air is sucked out of all five layers of the panel.
At the end of the lamination process, the solar panels are cooled and will be capable of producing electricity on exposure to sunlight as well as being weather and UV resistant for up to 30 - 40 years. All panels are quality controlled with regard to power and ae-sthetic requirements, before they are integrated into a system solution.