Wind Energy

Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics introduces maintenance-free bearing for the solar energy market

The Solglide bearing is applied at pivot points at all major tracking systems used in the area of Concentrating Solar Thermal Power.

According to the company, proprietary-developed fluoropolymer compounds in the bearing increase the long-term operational efficiency of solar equipment, reduce energy usage and decrease long-term costs.

The bearing is offered with a range of backing layers. All types provide high resistance to harsh outdoor elements such as radiation, water and dust.

Further benefits

The Solglide bearing provides less friction on a constant level throughout the whole product life. Avoiding stick-slip effects in the tracking systems, the mirrors move more easily and efficiently towards the sun, resulting in less energy usage.

The bearing offers excellent corrosion and wear resistance and can last the lifetime of a CSP tower — around 25 years — with no maintenance costs.

To comply with environmental regulations, Solglide features lightweight materials that are free of heavy metals and banned chemicals such as chrome VI and perfluorooctanoic acid (PfOA) materials.

The bearing operates without grease to avoid the cleaning costs needed to remove drippings from the structures.

www.plastics.saint-gobain.com/