New lightweight solar panels launched by Solarge, Sabic

A new type of solar panel has been developed that is not only claimed to be fully circular but also to boast a carbon footprint that is more than 25% smaller than seen with a conventional type of panel.

The new panels have been developed by Solarge, based in Weert, the Netherlands, in close collaboration with chemical company Sabic, and were presented at the opening of Solarge’s new production facility in Weert, the Netherlands on 22 May.
Representatives from Sabic and Solarge, along with other industry leaders, attended the ceremony that was also attended by Rob Jetten, Dutch Minister for Climate & Energy, and Kadri Simson, European Commissioner for Energy. At the event, Lada Kurelec, General Manager, PP & E4PS, at Sabic noted that, as a part of its sustainability strategy to support the energy transition, Sabic prioritises collaboration and innovation together with industry leaders in their fields. “We look forward to building on this partnership and continuing our efforts in driving sustainability through collaboration and innovation on the road to carbon neutrality.”

Sabic worked closely with Solarge on the development of the new low-carbon footprint solar panel. Instead of glass, it is made from Sabic PP compounds, which considerably expands their application potential - many building roofs are simply not able to bear the weight of a large number of glass PV panels. By substituting Sabic’s PP Compounds a more than 50% reduction in weight can be achieved - in addition to the 25%  smaller carbon footprint. After 25 years of use, they can be recycled and reused within the PV production chain – all features designed to appeal to customers in the commercial and industrial building segment currently seeking lighter and more energy-efficient alternatives.

 “This new production line enables us to realise the most sustainable solar panels in a solid volume and contribute to accelerating of the energy transition in the most sustainable way possible.,” said Jan Vesseur, CEO of Solarge. “The collaboration with Sabic in the development of this product has been crucial for us and exemplary in its execution.”

 The initial concept for the PV panels was developed and patented by Sabic and Solarge. Sabic developed a range of polypropylene materials to enable the lightweight solar panel to meet all performance requirements. It then worked together with Solarge in the further application development and testing of the concept, installation, and supported the industrial scale-up of the product for market entry.

The Sabic PP compounds used in these panels will be produced at Sabic’s polypropylene compounding site in Genk, Belgium, where the company has already installed 50 of the new PV panels on the roof as a pilot. The full-scale roof installation of nearly 5,000 panels will be carried out over the course of 2023.