ASTM to Develop 'Glass for Solar Applications' Standards
December 1, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS
The scope of the new subcommittee is the development and maintenance of standards for glass and glass coatings for solar applications.
This includes, but is not limited to, photovoltaic (PV), solar thermal and concentrating applications. Experts said the standards will address the characteristics that affect performance, durability and reliability.
The subcommittee was formed at a Sept. 29 virtual meeting. Meeting participants - including government representatives, equipment and product manufacturers and members of ASTM Committees E44 and C14 on Glass and Glass Products - approved the formation of the subcommittee.
In agreeing to the scope, virtual meeting participants also noted that the work of the subcommittee would be coordinated with other ASTM committees and outside organizations that have mutual interests.
Experts said an April 2008 workshop held by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to explore how the glass and solar industries could best meet each other's needs served as the impetus for the formation of Subcommittee E44.20.
During the workshop, it was decided that solar glass standards should be developed so that any solar manufacturer would be able to purchase glass from different suppliers, as long as it met necessary standards for transmissivity, strength, coatings and other characteristics.
Following the 2008 workshop, the DOE consulted with ASTM, which led to the formation of the new subcommittee.
Potential topics that may be covered under ASTM E44.20 include:
- Photovoltaic (PV) applications - crystalline and thin film.
- Glass - strength, characteristics, composition, use in CSP devices and other topics.
- Coatings - silver coatings, reflective and antireflective, textured glass rating system.
- Film quality - coating specifications, thickness, optical properties, electrical properties, morphology.
- Durability and reliability - mechanical properties, longevity of structure over time.
Source: ASTM International.