How can the industry produce solar panels that are more efficient but less expensive? One of Arkema’s products – PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate) – could open new horizons for the photovoltaic market.
Altuglas International is the world leader in PMMA. This Arkema business unit is working to enhance the properties of PMMA and expand its applications.
 Altuglas produces PMMA in 2 formats:
granules, which are then processed by extrusion or coextrusion to produce profiles (for the construction industry) or sheets, which can then be reworked (as thermo-formable sheets for use in the automotive and construction industries), or by injection, a plastic molding process, to produce automobile tail lights, medical products, decorative items, etc., sheets, which are used for bus shelter panels, transparent noise barriers, advertising signs, bathtubs, etc.
 PMMA’s main qualities:
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outstanding optical properties and a greater transparency than glass,
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very high resistance to UV and weathering,
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extreme toughness, which protects against scratching,
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easy handling and application.
PMMA: developing a new generation of solar panels
The current high cost of solar panels is due to the price of silicon. Researchers are working to develop panels that use less silicon to generate similar amounts of energy. One solution is to use tiny lenses to focus light on the surfaces where the silicon is concentrated.
"PMMA is particularly relevant in this context. Glass lenses are heavy and difficult to produce, but PMMA is highly transparent, easy to mold, light, solid and durable over long periods of time. It’s perfect for making high-performance lenses," explains Pierre-Louis Lambert, PMMA development manager at Altuglas.
PMMA lenses are already used in the medical sector. On solar panels, however, the lenses are exposed to high temperatures. "Altuglas International has an advantage here, as it markets a unique PMMA that can withstand temperatures of 100°C. We are continuing to conduct research into PMMAs that offer high thermal resistance," adds Pierre-Louis Lambert.
Altuglas International, ready for the future
Altuglas International participates in a number of research projects that are working to incorporate PMMA lenses into solar panels, whether independently or in addition to glass.
"We think that PMMA will become increasingly significant in photovoltaic applications. Altuglas, the leader in this market and the only manufacturer to offer PMMAs with high thermal stability, is particularly well positioned to succeed in this new market," concludes Pierre-Louis Lambert.
 
Plexiglas® is the Arkema registered trademark for acrylic sheet and resins in North and Latin America, and Altuglas® for the rest of the world.
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