Sustainable solutions for solar energy

utility companies love solar

As the demand for solar energy grows, new utility-scale solar power plants are being built. BASF experts can help you identify areas of improvement for large-scale solar electricity generation projects that utilize concentrated solar power (CSP).

Specialized solar technologies for large-scale power generation include both photovoltaic and thermal technologies. Whether the plant incorporates thin film, trough, dish/engine, or something entirely new, BASF has the technology and know-how to help lower costs and improve the efficiency of the plant design.

Most CSP technologies are capable of storing heat via molten salt closed loop systems attached to sunlight collectors. The stored heat can be converted to electricity at times of peak demand. BASF is a leading manufacturer of sodium nitrate salts that help plants store heat and provide energy when it is needed - not just when the sun is shining.

BASF solutions for framing

• Luran® S ASA plastics maintain their cosmetic and structural integrity for years. These UV-stable, weatherable plastics can be used for solar collector framing, fasteners, and a number of aesthetic components.
• Luran® GF-SAN products are high-modulus, low CLTE thermoplastics. They have a number of metal-replacement applications, lowering overall material and production costs.
• Ultramid® polyamide (PA) and Ultradur® polybutyleneterephthalate (PBT) are thermoplastic engineering polymers used for high-quality, highly stressed engineering parts. They have the potential to replace metallic frames and mounting systems in solar applications.

BASF solutions for adhesives, sealants and grouts

• Oppanol® polyisobutylenes (PIBs) can be used to seal the edges of glass and silicon structures to prevent moisture and air infiltration. Used in conjunction with other sealant components, Oppanol PIBs are cost effective, efficient and durable solutions to protect the active components of solar panels. Oppanol-based products are already used in double and triple glazed insulated glass manufacturing processes.
• Masterflow® and Embeco® grouts maintain the precision alignment that would be required by even the largest turbine generators found in a solar plant. These products are formulated to withstand the high torque and vibration loads that are expected with this type of equipment. Whether repairing or replacing grout in an existing facility or building a new one, Masterflow and Embeco grouts can comply with the most rigorous specifications.

BASF solutions for heat storage materials

• Traditional solar power plants are limited to producing energy at times when the sun is shining, which may or may not be when power is needed most. BASF's high quality sodium nitrate salts can be used to store the heat produced by these plants, leveling their power output and allowing them to produce power during peak usage times - whenever those might be.

BASF solutions for concrete technologies and additives

• Green SenseSM Concrete is an optimization technology in which recycled cementitious and non-cementitious materials are used in combination with specially-formulated BASF admixtures to develop environmentally preferable, cost-effective concrete mixtures that meet, and often exceed, performance targets.
• Rheodynamic® SCC is a highly stable self-consolidating concrete (SCC) technology that facilitates concrete placement and consolidation without the need for mechanical vibration. It is particularly advantageous in concrete sections with dense reinforcement and provides operational and economic benefits in concrete construction.
• PolyHeed® mid-range and Glenium® high-range water-reducing admixtures can be used to provide significant reductions in mix water content while enhancing the workability, strength and durability of concrete mixtures. These admixtures enable the development of Green Sense Concrete mixtures.
• Pozzolith®, Delvo® and Pozzutec® admixtures can be used to achieve the desired setting characteristics by either retarding or accelerating the hydration of portland cement as needed to enable year-round concrete construction.
• RheoTEC™ Z-60 admixture is a workability-retaining admixture that provides flexible degrees of slump retention without retardation and without affecting the early-age strength development of concrete. By maintaining workability, RheoTec Z-60 admixture eliminates the need to adjust concrete mixtures at the time of placement, thereby ensuring that the intended performance attributes of the mixture can be attained.
• Durability-enhancing admixtures can be used to cost-effectively extend the useful service lives of concrete structures through the mitigation of destructive mechanisms such as corrosion of embedded reinforcement and alkali-silica reactivity (ASR) of aggregates.
• MasterFiber™ synthetic and steel fibers can be added to concrete mixtures to improve toughness and post-crack performance. In concreting applications such as hot weather, MasterFiber microsynthetic fibers will help to minimize the incidence of plastic shrinkage cracking. The MasterFiber macrosynthetic fibers offer a cost-effectively alternative to the use of shrinkage and temperature reinforcement, while the MasterFiber steel fibers can be used to replace structural steel, depending on application.