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BioSolar, Inc. has developed a breakthrough technology to produce bio-based materials from renewable plant sources that will reduce the cost per watt of solar cells. Imagine a totally green solar panel with materials derived from cotton and castor beans.

BioSolar is the first company to introduce a new dimension of cost reduction by replacing petroleum-based plastic solar cell components with durable bio-based components. The company expects to begin commercial production of its BioBacksheet(TM) over the next few months and is gearing up for pre-production runs. The backsheet is a protective covering, traditionally made from petroleum-based film, used in the back of virtually all photovoltaic solar cells.

There are primarily two kinds of solar cells in the market today: traditional crystalline silicon (c-Si) and thin film solar cells. While thin film technology promises lower cost and more efficient manufacturing, it still represents a very small part of the solar cell market. Traditional c-Si solar cells command 94% of the market today while thin film and other non-c-Si solar cells are projected to grow to only 8% by 2010.

Beacon Equity Research analyst Victor Sula noted that previous attempts to make solar backsheet with bioplastics failed due to the material’s “low melting temperature and fragile molecular structure.” He noted that BioSolar’s material has “overcome these constraints” with “durability characteristics similar to conventional petroleum-based plastics.”

“The ability to evaluate and remedy real-time issues encountered during multiple pre-production manufacturing runs will prove invaluable as we gear up for full-scale production,” said Dr. David Lee, BioSolar’s CEO. “Pre-production pilot runs of BioBacksheets are very narrow, approximately one foot wide, while normal manufacturing runs will be five or six feet wide. Once pilot runs are successful, the next step is to transition to commercial production manufacturing runs.”

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