BIPV roofing membrane with 25-year service life for C&I applications

Solvay, a Brussels-based chemicals producer, is teaming up with 3TREES, a Chinese building materials manufacturer, to develop building-integrated photovoltaic polyolefin (BIPV TPO) roofing membranes.

The new BIPV product will add UV/thermal stabilizers to Solvay’s existing stabilizer CYASORB CYNERGY B series solutions. A company spokesperson told pv magazine that these are “already commercialized and available globally for stabilizing durable high value polyolefin-based products such as single ply TPO membranes, geomembranes, siding and stadium seating … this specific product developed for BIPV will be commercialized by the end of the year and further scale up is planned for next year in China.”

Solvay’s stabilization technology can reportedly extend a roofing membrane’s UV and thermal durability, thereby pushing the product’s service life to up to 25 years. This will enable 3TREES to comply with the 25-year weathering requirement for BIPV TPO roofing in China, which current products are purportedly unable to meet.

The UV/thermal stabilizers prevent micro-crack formation, loss of gloss and color shift, and do not interfere with sealing, painting and other surface treatments, according to the company. Solvay’s additives are usually incorporated in the TPO membranes, but can also be used in PV panels and support systems, providing UV protection for backsheet films and heat stability combined with chemical resistance.

The new product has been tested by 3TREES for thermal aging and UV weathering, and “shows superior stabilization performance at retention of surface and physical properties after aging, especially under high temperature,” according to a Solvay spokesperson. The collaboration between the two companies will cover product testing, qualification, market promotion, new project development and production.