Prospect of smart coating application in photovoltaics

NanoMarkets of the United States has released a report on the application of smart coatings on solar panels (this application can increase efficiency, reduce costs, and create products with higher added value). NanoMarkets believes that the smart coating sold to the photovoltaic industry will now appear to be insignificant, but it will reach US$504 million in 2016 and grow to US$847 million by 2018.

The self-cleaning coating placed on the solar panels improves the performance of the panels and reduces maintenance costs. Self-cleaning glass is already available from major glass manufacturers, so widespread use in photovoltaics does not require greater technological jumps. In 2016, the application of self-cleaning smart coatings in the photovoltaic industry will exceed $150 million in revenue.

Electrochromic (similar to coloring smart coatings on demand) will generate $222 million in revenue from the sale to the photovoltaic industry in 2016. NanoMarkets believes that by the integration of photovoltaic building integration (BIPV) glass panels and electrochromic smart glass, the opportunity to make money will come. NanoMarkets also predicts that electrochromic photovoltaic windows can also work with OLED technology to act as a light source at night.

The thermochromic smart coating will also play an important role in the photovoltaic field and can be used to "turn off" the panel under extremely hot conditions that can cause permanent damage to the panel. Photovoltaic technology—especially thin film cadmium telluride (CdTe) photovoltaic—is sensitive to heat; if the panel is used at too high a temperature, it may cause permanent degradation.

More details about this report, “Intelligent Coatings in Photovoltaics” can be accessed. It examines the role of self-cleaning, self-heating, electrochromic, and thermochromic coatings in the photovoltaic field for the next eight years. Including an assessment of when and where major opportunities arise, it also includes a detailed eight-year forecast of smart coating applications in photovoltaics, both in terms of space and value.