Market update · Europe
European Consortium Develops Glass-Free Photovoltaic Modules for Diverse Applications
A European research consortium, Sunrise, is developing glass-free photovoltaic modules using fiber-reinforced polymer composites to enable lightweight, curved, and multifunctional solar modules. The project targets industrial feasibility by May 2029 and focuses on applications in vehicles, noise barriers, and maritime vessels.
SolTraCo market update · · 3 min readProject Overview and Technology Development
The Sunrise consortium is advancing photovoltaic technology by integrating solar cells directly into fiber-reinforced polymer composites, eliminating the need for glass. This approach allows the production of lightweight modules that conform to curved or irregular surfaces, expanding photovoltaic integration possibilities.
The project builds on prior validated work and combines expertise in composite processing, lamination, liquid composite molding (LCM), and polycrystalline silicon cell integration. Techniques such as laser cutting, texturing, and replication have been developed to create multifunctional surfaces that reduce total reflection by up to 50%.
Manufacturing Processes and Industrial Collaboration
The consortium is focused on improving cell cutting, reversible electrical interconnections, molding, lamination, and developing encapsulants that facilitate disassembly, repair, and recycling. Responsibilities are distributed among partners: Spain’s Aimen leads laser cutting and LCM processes; Germany’s Fraunhofer ISE develops lamination techniques; Sweden’s Sticky Solar Power creates a prototype string-manufacturing system; and Italy’s Solbian tests the system.
Manufacturing will be distributed across three pilot facilities, each specializing in different production stages. The project began in June 2023 and will run for 36 months, aiming to prepare a roadmap for scaling up production and adapting equipment to industrial partners’ facilities.
Target Applications and Performance Goals
The consortium has identified three key applications for glass-free modules: vehicle-integrated photovoltaics (VIPV), photovoltaic noise barriers, and maritime vessel integration. For VIPV, the goal is to reduce module weight by at least 80%, lower system costs by 30%, and cut lamination time by 50%.
For noise barriers, the aim is a 30% weight reduction while maintaining 98% of the efficiency of a reference TOPCon module and ensuring mechanical durability withstanding 5,400 Pa static pressure. Maritime applications focus on creating continuous solar surfaces with anti-slip properties for ship decks and achieving over 20% cost reduction compared to conventional solutions.
Sources
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