Solar Cell Cover Glass
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Technical Details of Solar Cell Cover Glasses

Specially designed for space and terrestrial applications, Solar Cell Cover Glasses have a wide range of technical advantages. These ensure long-lasting, stable performance and a continuing dual role, both protecting and enhancing the function of photovoltaic cells for the entire length of their mission.

Developed to explore space – and beyond

Protection against radiation

To ensure a photovoltaic cell system functions well throughout its lifetime, its technology and hardware need to be effectively protected against several types of harmful radiation. SCHOTT’s Solar Cell Cover Glasses absorb that harmful radiation and minimize the damage it causes.

High light transmission

Across the radiation spectrum, from UV-A to NIR, our Solar Cell Cover Glasses achieve an outstanding level of transmission. This provides high performance and efficiency for photovoltaic systems, which devices depend upon to function at their optimum level.

Solarization stability

The harmful radiation in space means that degradation is always a threat. The special material composition of our Solar Cell Cover Glasses is designed to prevent solarization and discoloration of the glass, providing stable optical performance for the lifetime of the mission.

High surface quality

The stable and reliable performance of a glass depends on its geometrical properties, and SCHOTT has the expertise to deliver top quality. All thicknesses and shapes are drawn with a fire-polished surface and homogenous geometry, which produces consistently great results.
Material Properties SCHOTT® Solar Glass 0787
Material Properties SCHOTT® Solar Glass sphere
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Technical Details - Solar Glass 0787

Optical Properties Value
Refractive index* nd for cover glass (as drawn) 1.5080 ± 0.003 
Total normal emittance εn of cover glass top surface at 25 °C

≤ 0.86

   

Thermal properties Unit Value
Transformation temperature Tg
 in °C 568
CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) α in 10-6 · K-1  (20 °C; 300 °C)
 8.5
in 10-6 · K-1  (20 °C; 150 °C) 7.9

 

Mechanical Properties
 Unit Value
Density ρ in g/cm³ 2.51 ± 0.05
Young's modulus E in kN/mm² 70.0
Poisson's ratio µ 0.216
Breaking strength Strength-optimized cutting process, details available on request

 

Electrical properties Value
Bulk resistivity ρD > 1 ∙ 1011 Ω m (ν = 20 °C)
 

Reference values of typical production quality

 

Transmittance values

 

  Spectral transmittance

Graph showing the spectral transmittance of SCHOTT® Solar Glass 0787 between 200-3,200 nm wavelength

 

Graph showing the spectral transmittance of SCHOTT® Solar Glass 0787 between 200-500 nm wavelength

  

Technical Details - Solar Glass sphere

Optical Properties Unit Value
Refractive index* nd 1.5231
Edge wavelength λc (τ = 0.46) in nm
(thickness in mm)

308
(0.1)
Luminous Transmittance 𝛕vD65 in nm
(thickness in mm)		 91.8
(0.1)

   

Thermal properties Unit Value
Transformation temperature Tg in °C 557
CTE (coefficient of thermal expansion) α in 10-6 · K-1 (20 °C; 300 °C) 7.2

 

Mechanical Properties
 Unit Value
Density ρ in g/cm³ 2.51
Young's modulus E in kN/mm² 72.9
Poisson's ratio µ 0.21
Breaking strength Strength-optimized cutting process, details available on request

 

SCHOTT® Solar Glass sphere-Graphic-Transmittance-250-2000nm

 

SCHOTT® Solar Glass sphere-Graphic-Transmittance-250-500nn.png

SCHOTT® Solar Cell Cover Glasses are available as:

  • Sheets
  • Cut-to-size substrates
  • Unpolished substrates and wafers

To find out more, please see the related products on the overview page.

Want to know more? Let’s talk

Whether you need more information, samples, a quote, or advice for a project, we would be delighted to talk to you.

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