BioSolar unveils bio-based parts

BioSolar plans to produce bio-based backsheets for PV panels.

It’s no secret that solar panels, while capable of producing clean renewable energy, are themselves laden with potentially harmful materials. One California company says it has developed products that will make panels more environmentally palatable.

Santa Clarita-based BioSolar says its bio-based backing for solar panels can replace petroleum-based components—such as Mylar or Tedlar—typically used on solar panels, while also cutting costs by about 25 percent.

BioSolar products, called backsheets, comprise the bottom protective and insulating layer for crystalline silicon solar cells. BioSolar says its cotton- and castor oil-derived materials match plastic’s durability and can be used in existing panel manufacturing facilities. The company also plans to produce backsheets for thin-film applications, BioSolar CEO David Lee says.

Founded in 2006, BioSolar is currently in the preproduction stage with its products, but plans to roll them out by the end of 2009. Lee says the company has been working with several unnamed solar panel manufacturers to test its products. He says the company plans to be in production mode by the end of 2009.

Recent reports have shone a light on the solar panels’ potentially toxic legacy, revealing the extensive energy and resources that go into solar panel production, and urging solar companies to create recycling plans now instead of when their products reach obsolescence. Lee says his company’s bio-based products will degrade like other compostable materials.