Apart from capacity and yield, the most important criterion when buying solar modules is their operating life. Here protection from weather and environmental influences plays a major role.

The advantage of glass-glass modules is the material itself, as glass hardly ages at all. It offers the best protection for solar cells and ensures that the modules still work very effectively even after decades of use. They are also extremely robust in withstanding outside influences, and the transparent versions are ideal for use on carports and conservatories.
In the following paragraphs we describe in detail the advantages of glass-glass modules compared to conventional glass-film modules:

Glass-glass modules have better resistance to mechanical loads. Since the front and rear glass sheets are of equal thickness, no compressive or tensile stress is generated in the neutral fiber. This means that the embedded solar cells are optimally protected from mechanical stress.

The thermal expansion of both glass layers is identical. Thus the solar cells are exposed to less stress in hot or cold conditions, as both glass layers expand and contract at the same rate.

A glass-glass module has better heat dissipation. The glass at the back dissipates heat more effectively than a plastic-based back sheet. Less heat development means higher yield.

The glass at the front is thinner than the glass front sheet of a standard glass-film module, increasing both the transmission of the glass and the yield.

Despite the thinner glass front sheet, a glass-glass module is more stable because the panel comprises a total thickness of 4 mm of glass. This also protects the back of the panel from damage more effectively.

Glass also has significantly better fire behavior and provides better protection from humidity, ammonia and salt-spray.

Construction as a glass-glass module and the recyclability of the materials used make the module substantially more eco-friendly than conventional combinations of materials.

Unique on the glass-glass panel market is the Luxor Secure Line, which features a special edge sealing of the laminate that is also used in the automotive industry. This guarantees absolute protection from humidity and other environmental influences. The use of PVB instead of EVA in the laminate allows a higher transmission factor as well as absolute protection from PID (potential induced degradation).

Thermal edge sealing with butyl, as used in the manufacture of windscreens, ensures robust protection from UVA and UVB radiation, humidity, ammonia and salt corrosion, thus ensuring a working life that is up to 50 % longer. The outlets for the contacts to the connector box pass through a recess in the outer surface of the module, rather than passing through the cell embedment material and rear glass.

Modules in the Secure Line series are laminated without any mechanical effect on the cell. This has a decisive influence on the lifespan and performance of the semiconductor, because transmission is completely stress-free. The technology of laminating at a lower temperature and at atmospheric pressure is based on techniques used in the glass industry, and guarantees a longer lifetime for the modules.

A polyvinyl butyral (PVB) specially developed for use in photovoltaics, instead of the ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) usually used, ensures a longer lifespan of the laminate thanks to better absorption of UVB and UVA rays and a markedly longer life of the semiconductor. PVB also exploits a 20 % broader light spectrum, increasing cell efficiency and ensuring a higher yield.

These qualities make the glass-glass module by Secure Line the right solution for all applications that require exceptional longevity, reliability and robustness.

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