PV-Module thickness is only ~6mm

In the last few years, LiSEC has introduced the revolutionary flatbed tempering process, which enables extremely thin glass (up to 0.9 mm) to be tempered at an excellent quality and without any roller waves.
The enormous resistance and flexibility of tempered thin glass (whether it is float glass, rolled glass or coated glass) now serve as a basis for a new concept of extremely light-weight PV-glass-glass-modules.
With a glass thickness of 2 mm of both front and back side and a hermetic sealing along the edges, the glass-glass-modules are extraordinarily efficient and diffusion-tight. Ammonia gases, high ambient air temperature or humidity cannot cause harm to the module - 50 years of experience in the production of insulating glass speak for themselves. Furthermore, this encapsulation method does not require any aluminium frames and can be assembled easily using the backrail method. With a weight of only about 10 kg/m² the modules are extremely light-weight compared to conventional ones.
For the production of these modules, LiSEC developed a fully automatic production line especially designed for the glass-glass encapsulation approach. An integrated part of the method is a new vacuum laminator, enabling that up to 4 modules are processed simultaneously within a 2 min. cycle time - thus delivering a PV-module every 30 seconds. Curing of EVA, PVB or any other foil material is made in a separate batch curing oven. The full-range supplier LiSEC optimized the whole workflow from finishing of glass to the module encapsulation process and to assembly. Because of the use of thin glass and the fact that there is no need for aluminium frames, the glass-glass encapsulation method yields an overall energy balance improved by 50% per m² compared to conventional modules.
 
The first fully automatic vacuum laminator, as part of the pilot line to be installed in Q2/11, is already operational at the LiSEC INOVA research and development centre, delivering extraordinary results: with the production of a PV-glass-glass-module with an overall size of 3260 x 1525 mm (180 cells = 770 Wp) and a total weight of only 50 kg, LiSEC shows the potential in this area. The sample module delivers a performance almost four times as high as for conventional modules and was exhibited in the LiSEC booth during the 5th SNEC PV Power Expo in Shanghai, Feb. 22nd - 24th, 2011.
 
"This approach for highly efficient PV-modules solves multiple problems observed with conventional tedlar-based PV-module encapsulation methods and is a significant step forward to energy savings and grid parity", Mr Mader, head of LiSEC’s INOVA technology centre, states.
"Furthermore, we are opening doors to new frameless BiPV ideas, low-cost roofing applications for glass houses, green buildings, car ports and many other things."