ENGAGE™ PV Polyolefin Elastomers

Field-testing of Dowâ s ENGAGE PV POE versus EPE and EVA.

Creating more innovative solar panels to harness more power

ENGAGE™ PV Polyolefin Elastomers (POE) support photovoltaic (PV) modules with exceptional protection, long-term performance and reliability at a lower overall system lifetime cost. This helps businesses create more innovative solar panels and harness more power to drive success for many years.

Boost renewable energy with optimal materials for solar panels

In today’s highly competitive solar energy landscape, the longevity and reliability of photovoltaic modules are key to driving long-term success in renewable energy. Choosing optimal encapsulants—the material that holds solar cells together—is crucial for PV modules that deliver strong performance over their decades-long service life.

Attributes
Proven Performance

ENGAGE™ PV POE attributes

While materials like ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) have long been used for encapsulants, they degrade over time, releasing corrosive acetic acid and yellowing, which negatively impacts PV module power output. Dow designed ENGAGE™ PV POEs to offer excellent performance compared to most competing encapsulant materials, including PID-Free EVA Encapsulants.

Dow offers various grades of ENGAGE™ PV POE designed to meet a wide variety of application needs, including commercial, residential or utility projects. Fabrication advantages include:

Optimized glass/glass film for crystalline silicon (c-Si)
Low UV cut-off film
Standard UV cut-off film

Solar team members working in the labs at the Korea Solar Solutions Application Center.

Power retention

ENGAGE™ PV POE has been tested extensively to ensure its exceptional performance over time. Third-party testing by Fraunhofer showed ENGAGE™ PV POEs exhibited virtually no PID during service life, with a power loss of 0.3% versus 35% with EVA-based film.¹

Weathering and encapsulant film degradation

After alternating cycles of damp heat and QUV exposure over extended periods of time, a module built with ENGAGE™ PV POE film showed more consistent power compared to a module using EVA films. Even after 10,000 hours of Xenon Arc weathering testing, encapsulant films made with ENGAGE™ PV POEs exhibited no increased yellowness, while EVA film turned an evident yellow color.²

Field testing of PV encapsulate films

Dow has installed solar modules in Hainan to test and generate long-term data on the reliability and power generation capabilities of ENGAGE™ PV POE films. The site contains a total of nine different strings: three strings of PERC modules with POE, EPE, and EVA films; three strings of TOPCon modules with POE, EPE, and EVA films; and three strings of HJT modules with POE, EPE, and EVA films. The data collected from this site allows us to demonstrate the high reliability of our high-efficiency bifacial modules using ENGAGE™ PV POE films.

_{⁽¹⁾Based on tests conducted by the Fraunhofer Center for Silicon Photovoltaics CSP. Chart provided by Fraunhofer. Additional information is available upon request.}

_{⁽²⁾Based on Dow testing that compared a module film made with ENGAGE™ PV POE to a module made with an EVA-based film. Additional information is available upon request.}

ENGAGE™ PV POE

ENGAGE™ PV polyolefin elastomers offer exceptional flexibility, durability, and impact resistance, making them ideal for various applications. These elastomers enhance the performance of photovoltaic (PV) encapsulants by providing superior UV and thermal stability, ensuring long-lasting protection and efficiency. Compared to alternatives, they offer better processability, compatibility, and improved longevity, making ENGAGE™ PV elastomers a more reliable choice for maximizing the performance and lifespan of PV modules.

LEARN MORE