Solarwatt progresses in Middle East with advanced dual-glass solar modules

01/29/2018 | Print view

A 80 KW PV installation with glass-glass solar modules from Solarwatt powers a school in Lebanon near Beirut. - © Solarwatt — © Solarwatt

A 80 KW PV installation with glass-glass solar modules from Solarwatt powers a school in Lebanon near Beirut.

Solarwatt is stepping up its growth in the Middle East with a series of projects in the region. A solar hotspot is Jordan with a high demand for dual-glass solar modules.

The company is working with Elements Wind & Sun, a Lebanese pioneer of smart integration of solar PV with diesel generating sets, to produce power in remote areas while minimising CO2 emissions and cutting fuel costs. Solarwatt is providing the panels to produce high levels of flexibility, reliability and stability.

First gold-rated LEED building in Jordan

Solarwatt is also active in Jordan, having supplied the dual-glass modules for the new headquarters of Izzat Marji Group, a supplier of renewable-energy and temperature systems and plumbing materials. The Amman building is the country’s first to be gold-rated under Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the global sustainability standard. A multi-megawatt pipeline of projects through other channels has been confirmed in Jordan.

The headquarter of Izzat Marji Group HQ in Amman under construction. - © Solarwatt — © Solarwatt

The headquarter of Izzat Marji Group HQ in Amman under construction.

Supply of three megawatts in 2018

Elements Wind & Sun provides three solutions aimed at addressing a still intermittent power supply in a network with a limited geographic spread – PV grid-connected, PV-powered pumping systems and PV hybrid, which combine diesel generators with PV power.Elements Wind & Sun (EWS) sought out the highest German quality and uses the best components, said Pol Spronck, International Sales Manager of Solarwatt, whose company plans to supply about three megawatts EWS projects this year. An 80kW system installed by Elements at a school in the second half of December is performing very well, producing 4.3MWh to date – an extremely high yield.

EWS recently visited Solarwatt’s battery production plant in Frechen, near Cologne, and the company’s state-of-the-art module factory in Dresden.Joseph Sadaka, General Manager of Elements Wind & Sun, said: “We are very pleased with our close relationship with Solarwatt and were impressed by the quality production processes in both factories. The modules are of the highest German quality standards, exactly as our customers demand. With a large number of projects in the pipeline using Solarwatt panels, we are looking to increase those numbers.”

Glass-glass solar modules beneficial for extreme climate conditions

Pol Spronck added: “Elements is a highly professional firm and a very good partner in bringing Solarwatt’s brand to the Middle East, where we wish to improve our recognition. Although the region can be price-driven, quality is vital and reliable long-term reliable performance is a big factor. Cheaper alternatives will have difficulty in living up to the lifetime and warranty promises.“We look forward to a long relationship with Elements and further growth in the MENA region. In Q3 2017 we supplied dual-glass modules for the first LEED gold-rated green building in Jordan. In a climate with heat, sand storms, and other environmental challenges, glass-glass panels are an excellent choice. “Solarwatt’s pioneering dual-glass modules offer the best long-term performance on the market, bringing an unrivalled 30-year product and performance guarantee.”

Only 0,6 percent efficiency losses after 5,000 hours

Manufactured at the company’s factory in Dresden, Germany, the latest-generation of modules are light, extremely resilient and durable, with 2x2mm double-layer panes. In accelerated aging tests such as the damp heat test, dual-glass modules lose only around 0.6 per cent of their efficiency after 5,000 hours, a point when cheaper, traditional glass-film modules of inferior brands generate barely any electricity. "Solarwatt has consistently led the way in advanced dual-glass solar PV modules that combine strength and resilience with light weight. They greatly outperform polymer-backed cells, which can stretch, leading to micro-cracks, or degrade due to moisture and gases including oxygen. The cells are practically indestructible, completely shielded by glass panes front and back, while an advanced process protects modules from delamination, extremes of weather and aggressive substances such as ammonia and salt", Spronck said. (HCN)