Judging the quality of solar glass

What are the characteristics of glass for solar applications?

For solar applications the main attributes of glass are transmission, mechanical strength and specific weight. Transmission factors measure the ratio of energy of the transmitted to the incoming light for a specific glass and glass width. Ratio of the total energy from an AM1-5 source over whole solar spectrum from 300 - 2,500nm wavelength.

Why is patterned glass used in crystalline solar modules?

In the production of crystalline solar modules pat-terned glass substrates are used in lieu of bare glass. Patterned glass increases the amount of incoming sunlight. Common optical inspection systems for quality assurance and process control are mostly designed for unstructured glass.

What happens if a solar glass substrate is defective?

As in all other glass manufacturing processes, solar glass substrates are subject to defects during produc-tion. Depending on the defect type and intensity, the impact of these defects can range from a reduced transmission to a considerable negative influence on the mechanical glass characteristics.

Why should you use solarinspect?

Furthermore, SolarInspect can detect glass defects at the edges of the substrate, which helps to avoid unexpected glass breakage in subsequent production and in the final product. In the production of crystalline solar modules pat-terned glass substrates are used in lieu of bare glass. Patterned glass increases the amount of incoming sunlight.