BioSolar “Has Developed a ‘BioBacksheet’ That May Change the Solar Industry,” According to Energy Boom

SANTA CLARITA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BioSolar (OTC BB: BSRC), developer of a breakthrough technology to produce bio-based materials from renewable plant sources that reduce the cost of photovoltaic solar modules, “has developed a ‘biobacksheet’ that may change the solar industry,” according to a July 22, 2009 article on Energy Boom.

“BioSolar is currently making steady strides in the commercialization process, and we are always pleased when members of the solar industry share our excitement. We received great feedback following our recent announcement of the successful prototype run of the new BioBacksheet^TM-A,” said BioSolar’s CEO Dr. David Lee.

News of the development was also featured in New Energy World Network and Solar Industry Magazine.

Conventional polymer backsheets, the bottom-most layer of nearly all photovoltaic solar cell modules, are designed to protect the solar cell from environmental hazards like moisture and UV rays. One of the reasons solar power has remained expensive is because of the cost of its components such as backsheets. BioSolar’s BioBacksheet™ is a protective covering made from renewable plant sources, rather than the expensive petroleum-based film currently in use, and is expected to cost substantially less than traditional petroleum-based backsheets.

A Renewable Energy World article says that according to Lee, the fastest growing segment of the photovoltaic (PV) market is thin film, particularly copper-indium-gallium-selenide (CIGS) and cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film photovoltaic panels that require backsheets to have a water vapor transmission rate of nearly zero.

“BioSolar has developed the BioBacksheet^TM-A with an absolute moisture barrier from renewable materials. The three layer laminate film consisting of 100 percent recyclable aluminum foil is the center core sandwiched between outer layers of bio-based polymer films, making our product unique in the industry,” said Lee.

BioSolar recently announced that the BioBacksheet^TM-C, designed for the traditional c-Si PV modules, will be the company’s first product to be commercially available during the second half of 2009. Two more versions of BioBacksheet^TM are currently in the pre-production stage moving towards qualification for full production.

BioSolar To Present Breakthrough Solar Technology At Solar Symposium

SANTA CLARITA & SAN DIEGO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BioSolar, Inc. (OTCBB:BSRC), developer of a breakthrough technology to produce bio-based materials from renewable plant sources that reduce the cost of photovoltaic solar cells, today reports that Chief Technology Officer Dr. Stanley Levy will deliver a key oral presentation at the SPIE Symposium on Solar Applications and Energy on August 12th in San Diego, California. Dr. Levy will detail the various scientific breakthroughs underlying the company’s BioBacksheet™ product and its role in helping the photovoltaic industry drive the cost per kilowatt hour to lower levels.

Details regarding the development of BioSolar’s Backsheet™, hailed by the daily news feature “Today’s Green Minute” as a technology that “might revolutionize the industry,” will be unveiled during SPIE Optics+Photonics, the largest and most technically prestigious optical sciences and technology meeting in North America. The Solar Energy + Applications track of the conference is dedicated to finding ways to move toward secure, affordable, and environmentally sustainable energy to meet the world’s accelerating energy needs.

BioSolar’s environmentally responsible BioBacksheet™ is made from renewable plant resources, rather than traditional and expensive petroleum-based components making it much more cost competitive than petroleum-based products. The resulting cost savings allows photovoltaic cell manufacturers to reduce the cost of their finished product, thereby reducing the cost per watt of solar electricity.

“We continue to receive positive feedback from an elite group of PV module manufacturers in regards to key durability and processing aspects of our BioBacksheet™,” said Dr. David Lee, CEO of BioSolar, confirming the progress toward full scale production of the company’s flagship BioBacksheet™ product is on target. “This feedback provides key verification data points, and contributes to a growing sense of confidence in the company’s progress toward full scale production.”

As previously reported, BioSolar is transitioning to full-scale production of its BioBacksheet™ in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility operated by its contract manufacturing partner, Rowland Technologies, Inc, a leading manufacturer of plastic film and sheet.

Record Oil Prices Spur Solar Energy Sector

SANTA CLARITA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BioSolar, Inc. (OTCBB:BSRC) reports that surging oil prices have resulted in unprecedented price hikes in photovoltaic solar module manufacturing, creating substantial growth opportunities for BioSolar. The company’s breakthrough technology dramatically reduces the cost of solar modules by replacing traditional and expensive petroleum-based components with bio-based materials derived from renewable plant sources. This dramatic pricing differential is expected to accelerate demand for BioSolar’s products as manufacturers scramble to control skyrocketing manufacturing and components costs.

“With the plastics industry undergoing price increases of up to 40% for petroleum-based plastics, we believe that the cost savings offered by our BioBacksheet™ product will accelerate manufacturers’ adoption of our product into their photovoltaic modules,” said Dr. David Lee, BioSolar’s CEO. “The savings will reduce the final cost per watt of solar electricity by allowing manufacturers to lower the cost of their finished product without being impacted by the rising cost of petroleum.”

A recent article in PlasticsNews underscores how manufacturers are impacted by price increases of commodity chemicals, as well as "almost unprecedented" run-ups in energy and raw materials costs. The June 22, 2008 article notes that companies are impacted not only by rising raw materials costs, but the associated electricity and transportation costs as well. Kevin Swift, chief economist at the American Chemistry Council, says, “Each $1 increase in the price of a barrel of crude oil costs the chemical industry $660 million annually …For a $1 increase in 1 million BTUs of natural gas, it's $3.3 billion in new costs.“1

“The market for solar power is already in explosive growth mode, and photovoltaic technology has progressed markedly in recent years with advances making the cells more efficient, lighter and less expensive. But BioSolar is singularly positioned to lead the development of truly sustainable and cost-effective solar technology as the first company to introduce a new dimension of cost reduction by replacing petroleum-based plastic solar cell module components with durable non-food, bio-based materials,” said Lee.

BioSolar is in the process of transitioning into full-scale production of its BioBacksheet™ in a 60,000-square-foot state-of-the-art facility operated by its contract manufacturing partner, Rowland Technologies, Inc.

By incorporating Rowland Technologies’ world-class manufacturing capabilities with BioSolar’s unique material engineering, BioSolar is producing an environmentally-friendly product with characteristics that exceed the thermal index requirements of solar module manufacturers.

“We expect this breakthrough product to be rapidly accepted as the standard for the backsheet component of both traditional and certain thin-film photovoltaic modules,” said Lee.

BioSolar Ships Samples Of Breakthrough Solar PV Material

SANTA CLARITA, CA--(Marketwire - April 28, 2008) - BioSolar™, Inc. (OTCBB: BSRC), developer of a breakthrough technology to produce bio-based materials from renewable plant sources that reduce the cost of photovoltaic solar cells, today announced that the company has shipped its BioBacksheet™ samples to a select group of manufacturers for their evaluation in several regions of the country. In an era of record high oil prices, the company's new bio-based product provides a cost effective alternative to petroleum-based backsheets currently in use, and has been actively sought by manufacturers as a component of their finished solar cells.

"This is a very exciting first step to market," said Dr. David Lee, BioSolar's CEO. "It has been our company's mission to deliver an economically viable 'green' product. Not only will the use of our new BioBacksheet product allow solar cell manufacturers to reduce cost in an extremely competitive environment, but they will be doing it in a manner that is environmentally responsible. We believe that as consumers demand more 'green' products, solar cell manufacturers will place an even greater value on products such as ours."