Business News

DuPont Innovation Center Goes Solar

The completed renovation project of the Innovation Center at the DuPont Experimental Station in Wilmington, Del., in mid-2008, included the installation of a solar energy system which was funded in part by the State of Delaware’s Green Energy Program.

Tuesday 13. January 2009 - The completed renovation project of the Innovation Center at the DuPont Experimental Station in Wilmington, Del., in mid-2008, included the installation of a solar energy system which was funded in part by the State of Delaware’s Green Energy Program.

The photovoltaic (PV) panels of the system, which are located on the roof of the building, collect solar energy and convert it to provide 30 kilowatts of power each day. It provides enough electricity to power all of the lights in the building. The system is expected to have a useful life of at least 25 years.
The photovoltaic panels, manufactured by Evergreen Solar, Inc., consist of various products developed by DuPont including DuPont Solamet thick film paste, which is applied to the silicon cells and fired in place to collect the electric current; DuPont PV5100 series ethylene vinyl acetate photovoltaic encapsulating resins; and DuPont Tedlar PV fluoropolymer film, which is used as a weatherable and protective layer in the polymeric backsheet .
The Innovation Center solar energy system is the second system of its kind installed at a DuPont site by DuPont Facilities Services & Real Estate (FS&RE).
“As part of our sustainable growth mission, it is important that we consider installing sources of energy such as photovoltaics, solar hot water and wind as viable, economic and sustainable alternatives to fossil fuels,” said Harvey Wishkoff, solar system project sponsor, FS&RE.