KREMPEL takes the offensive for greater economic efficiency:

AKALIGHT® ECS, the new PV backsheet laminate, the specialist for solar materials has supplemented its product portfolio, which offers reliable quality for every requirement at prices appropriate to the market. On the basis of practical experience gathered in 20 years, KREMPEL provides advice to its customer worldwide to make sure they select the material most suitable for their application. In order to improve customer service even more throughout Asia, the all-round supplier is officially opening a new solar material factory in China on 15 May 2012.

\"Safety and reliability are decisive factors in the selection of materials for solar modules\", said Klaus Bernhardt, head of KREMPEL\'s solar materials division, \"but, on the other hand, the drop in prices on the solar market was foreseeable.\" KREMPEL developed the new AKALIGHT® ECS product in order to ensure that the quality standards of the well-known German company remain in line with market requirements. These standards are based on experience gained in relation to twenty years of use in practice of the company\'s own PV backsheet laminates.

The classical AKASOL® PTL & AKASOL® PVL products with fluoropolymer films as the inner and outer layer have proven their quality in many years of use all over the world. AKASOL® PTL/PVL 2 has been developed as a more cost-effective solution. Its inner side is designed as a primer layer with high-quality UV absorbers and it is characterised as a whole by its optimum ratio of polyester film thickness to bonding agent. The least expensive new development, AKALIGHT® ECS, combines the tried-and-tested inner layers of this second generation with a


special film that is unaffected by UV radiation and has been defined for reliable use in the outer layer in accordance with the highly demanding standards that KREMPEL has set itself. The layer for the cell side is a high-quality film with UV absorbers that has already proven its worth in AKASOL® products.

Know-how for the selection of materials appropriate to manufacturer requirements
KREMPEL combines variety of products with application-oriented and strategic consulting for optimal selection of the backsheet, the reason being that every application comes with its own specific requirements. Moreover, positioning and the target markets of solar module manufacturers play a very important role. \"It makes a difference whether a solar module on a roof is to function permanently in central Europe or somewhere in the desert\", explained Jochen Enderle, sales manager for solar materials at KREMPEL, \"and whether a manufacturer presents itself as a specialist in individual special applications or serves the mass market. Only an overall consideration of the situation leads to safe and cost-effective solutions. We therefore provide advice to our customers on the relevant technical aspects of their decision.\"

If modules are intended for many years of reliable operation in extreme conditions, for example, special chemical and mechanical properties of PV backsheet laminates are absolutely critical: resistance to ammonia is important if PV modules are installed near agriculturally used buildings and resistance to abrasion is essential if they are used in desert regions.

Improved customer service for Asia
Apart from product characteristics, worldwide service is an important decision-making criterion for buyers of our materials. In the interests of proximity to its customers in Asia, KREMPEL had already set up sales facilities in China and established itself as a supplier within a period of twelve years. Aiming at a reduction in delivery times for all Asiatic customers and acquisition of the ability to supply smaller quantities as well, the Group started operating a new solar material factory in the free trading zone in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu province in the east of the People\'s Republic at the beginning of 2012.


From there, KREMPEL Solar Material Jiangsu Co. Ltd. is able to generate even more service benefits for its customers – both in China and in Asia as a whole. They profit not only from the shorter delivery times and flexibility in terms of quantity but also from speedy availability and invoicing combined with constantly high product quality. The 100% KREMPEL subsidiary processes and finishes only quality materials made in Germany. Due to increases in personnel, the technical customer service has also been improved. The official opening of the new solar material factory on 15 May 2012 will be the starting signal for the establishment of additional KREMPEL sales facilities in China.