DuPont opens new photovoltaic lab in Switzerland

DuPont has announced the opening its its new photovoltaic application laboratory at the European Technical Center in Meyrin, Switzerland, designed to advance state-of-the-art solar module design, accelerate time to market in photovoltaic innovation and deliver cost-effective, high-performance solutions for the photovoltaic industry.

The Meyrin Photovoltaic Application Lab will operate as an open center, enabling technological exchanges and research collaborations between DuPont and its customers, industrial partners, institutes and academia and would expand capabilities at the leading European R&D hub for DuPont teams developing next-generation products.

A new innovative building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) panel system that replaces tile or slate roofs is an example of open innovation. This new innovation was developed at the lab in collaboration with DuPont Building Innovations, DuPont Performance Polymers and industry partners.

The BIPV significantly improves the ease and speed of installation, offers high-energy efficiency, exceptional water tightness and superior aesthetics to the building. The system was initially developed for the French market where it will be commercialised in the first quarter of 2010. In a second phase, the product will be commercialised in other Southern European markets.

DuPont materials have been at the forefront of photovoltaic innovation for more than 25 years, setting standards around the world through materials that provide unmatched quality and reliability to photovoltaic modules.

The company anticipates the photovoltaic market to grow by about 30 per cent in 2010 and will continue to grow rapidly over the next three years. In line with the growth of the  industry, duPontexpects overall sales of its family of products in the photovoltaic industry to exceed $1 billion by 2012, after having exceeded $500 million in 2009.

''At DuPont, responding to the sustainability challenges often involves looking at where different science and capabilities intersect,'' Hudson said. ''The new Meyrin Photovoltaic Application Lab will allow us to collaborate more closely with our customers in the photovoltaic industry, to provide local technical support and to develop the next generation of products for the global photovoltaic market.''