PPG Industries announced that it can produce heat-strengthened Solarphire® PV, Solarphire AR/2XAR and Solarphire NaB glasses in thicknesses of less than 3 millimetres with surface-compression strength that exceeds that of fully tempered glass (greater than 10,000 pounds per square inch). Critical components made with heat-strengthened, thin-glass versions of these products for photovoltaic (PV), concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) and concentrated solar power (CSP) designs have the potential to deliver unprecedented performance and cost savings to the solar industry. PPG is among the first major glass manufacturers in North America to make heat-strengthened thin glass. PPG can produce heat-strengthened glass in thicknesses of 2, 2.5 and 2.7 millimetres with surface-compression strength that exceeds that of fully tempered glass (greater than 10,000 pounds per square inch), while achieving ASTM C1048 standards for flatness. The added strength gives thin glass used in various solar applications that require resistance to wind load, hail impact and other environmental hazards the ability to meet UL and IEC (International Electrotechnical Commission) standards as well, which may help solar-module and solar-mirror manufacturers in North America.
