The photovoltaic fluoromaterials division of DuPont (Wilmington, Delaware / USA; www.dupont.com) has announced plans to more than double capacity for its high performance “Tedlar” PVF films by late 2009, pending final project approval. Complementing a 2007 capacity expansion, this would be the company’s largest investment to date for the films used as backsheets in solar panels. Possible sites for a new plant are being examined, both in the US and abroad. Additional details of the project are to be announced later this year.

DuPont, one of the leading suppliers of films for solar cells, is projecting growth of more than 50% annually for the global photovoltaics market over the next few years. The PVF polymer and films are currently manufactured at three US sites – Fayetteville (North Carolina), Louisville (Kentucky) and Buffalo (New York) – with tax credits and financial backing from local authorities.

Specialists such as Isovolta (“Icosolar”) and the Krempel group (“Akasol”) produce Tedlar-PET-Tedla (TPT) or Tedlar-PET-EVA (TPE) laminates based on the films. DuPont recently awarded a licence to Tokyo, Japan-based Toppan Printing (www.toppan.co.jp) to use its PVF coating technology to develop new PV backsheets with further enhanced functions.