(Source: Business Wire)Dow Adhesives and Functional Polymers, part of The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW), will participate in the upcoming Photovoltaic Solar Energy Exhibition in Hamburg, Germany, September 21-24, 2009. The Company anticipates intense interest in its high-performance adhesives that meet the fast-evolving requirements for newer backsheet applications. "We'll display our Adcote adhesives and provide attendees with results of our work on solventless adhesives for backsheet applications," says B.K.Sethuram, global business manager for Dow's Industrial Laminating and Thermal Technologies, noting that Dow is a leading global supplier of adhesives for photovoltaics and a pioneer in environmentally advanced technologies. "We look forward to discussing Dow's unique contributions including our adhesives' unparalleled performance on newer backsheet substrates, as well as game-changing innovations in materials such as liquid encapsulants for solar cells." Dow dovetails its services and products to fit this exceptionally dynamic industry devoted to harnessing a seemingly limitless energy source: the sun, which sends more energy in one hour than is used annually across the globe.

The PV industry has experienced strong growth in recent years, as it expands its manufacturing base to new regions and continuously implements new technology. For example, manufacturers responded to recent PVF backsheet film shortages by immediately adopting new lamination structures. While such substrates can be difficult to adhere, advanced adhesives such as Adcote, which has proven durability in solar energy applications, was found to offer sustainable features essential to long-term backsheet success: extended durability, resistance to adverse weather conditions, strong bonds on a wide range of challenging substrates, plus flexibility for extreme temperature changes and lightfastness. The company also plans to offer a high-performance 100 percent solids, solventless adhesive option soon, further advancing the environmental performance of solar modules.

Dow commits substantial investment to the entire PV value chain, expecting broad governmental incentives like renewable energy targets, rebate programs, tax credits, sustainable building regulations and feed-in tariffs to boost the already exploding PV and solar energy markets. The Company participates in every part of these markets, developing materials for backsheets, films, solar cells and panels. This involvement, explains Sethuram, is crucial for grid-connected photovoltaic customers as well as for off-grid electricity producers in developing countries.