It may not look like much on this rack at the front of a conference room, but this new SolarWorld SunModule Protect is a major improvement to an already industry-leading product. The use of 2mm glass as a replacement for the standard film back sheet will result in great improvements in durability. We have already seen successful implementation of similar glass-on-glass technology from the Washington-based start-up Silicon Energy 4 years ago and the NREL tests have supported the claims of durability. SolarWorld is now placing an unprecedented warranty on this product – a 30 year warranty of less than 0.35% performance degradation, meaning they guarantee they will generate at least 86.5% of the rated power 30 years from now.
We recently got a call from a lady in Kitsap County who installed Arco 30 watt modules in 1982 (31 years ago.) She claims today she is seeing about 85% of the initial power production from these modules. Through mergers and acquitions, the ancestry of SolarWorld reaches back to Arco through Siemens, and Shell Solar, now with a pedigree of over 40 years of US pv manufacturing.
We are proud to be Authorized SolarWorld dealers, found out today only 10% of the applicants to the program make it in.