23rd September 2011
After just one week of testing at our second site in Exeter, the Solar Panels coated with nanoShell Solar PV produced 21.43% more electricity than the corresponding uncoated panels.
We continue testing of our solar panel coatings nanoShell Solar PV after the impressive results recorded during our first tests. Read all about the increase in solar panel efficiency here!
Philip House, our second test site in Exeter, has a 10kw array on it's flat roof. Configured as one 2kw inverter and two 4kw, the array was installed and commissioned on June 16th 2011. On the 6th September, nanoShell’s Solar Panel Coatings were applied to one of the arrays (16 x Sharp 250) attached to a 4kw inverter. Until this point, all three of the inverters showed similar results.
The figures collected one week later showed the uncoated panels to have produced 14kw of electricity whilst the panels treated with our performance glass coatings produced 17kw. This is a net improvement of 21.43%. “That's brilliant news” said Mr. J. French, owner of Philip House, on hearing the results.
“We are very pleased with the first week and fully anticipated results of this magnitude” said Mr J. Abdilla, owner of nanoShell Ltd, “the manufacturers have performed tests which show up to a 30% improvement in poor conditions, so we wait to see if we can match that. Being non-toxic and biodegradable, the nano coatings nanoShell Solar PV are going to have a huge impact on solar electric production in the UK and around the world”.
nanoShell Solar PV is a non-toxic biodegradable invisible coating for glass lenses of photovoltaic panels and solar collectors (solar thermal). Applied in the same way as using a domestic window cleaner, the glass coatings provide two main benefits for PV/ST (referred to as PV):
PV's are less effective when rain water is sitting on the glass as less light is able to transfer to the cells. However, on a lense coated with nanoShell’s solar panel performance coatings the contact area and stickiness of water is reduced by the hydrophobic properties of NanoShell Solar PV. Water takes up less surface area and will run off at much lower angles. In a typical UK PV installation where panels are angled at approximately 38 degrees, water races off a lense with our protective coatings allowing more light to penetrate to the cells. nanoShell Solar PV makes photovoltaic and solar thermal installations more efficient in wet conditions. The results above were collected following a typical wet autumn week.
PV's rely on light transference to the cells through the glass lense. If, due to dust in the atmosphere or through bird faeces that lense gets dirty, less electricity will be made and the whole array may even switch off. nanoShell Solar PV provides self-cleaning glass coatings which greatly reduces the ability for dust and bird faeces to stick to the surface. When it rains, the hydrophobic effect causes the water to form droplets which 'roll' down the glass, collecting the dirt as they go, leaving the glass much cleaner. In many PV installations customers are being advised to clean their panels every three months. In many situations this can be reduced to once in four years where the panels have been coated with nanoShell’s high performance solar panel coatings. This is a significant benefit for PV owners whose installations are only accessible with scaffolding.
By keeping the glass clean and removing water quickly, nanoShell glass coatings for solar panels enable photovoltaic cells to produce more electricity, and therefore make the owner more money. It saves the customer time and money by reducing the maintenance overhead, especially in areas of reasonable rainfall. It's very easy to apply; it's non-toxic, biodegradable and remains on the glass lense for up to 5 years.
The glass coatings product nanoShell Solar PV is expected to retail at approximately £30 - £40 per PV Kw. We are still looking for more testing sites, so if you have a PV installation with multiple inverters we want to hear from you.
UPDATE: Read our latest news story for an update on the performance of our nano Solar Panel Coatings' effect on PV cells after 6 weeks of testing here! >>
