Future Development of PVB Interlayer: Accelerating Localisation and Functional Diversification to Drive New Market Dynamics [SMM Analysis]

The future development trends of PVB interlayer exhibit characteristics of diversification and technological innovation.

Accelerating Localisation Process: For a long time, global giants have dominated the domestic PVB interlayer market with their technological advantages. However, as local enterprises continue to master the production technology of PVB resin and interlayer, domestic companies have begun to produce high-quality PVB interlayers, accelerating the localisation process. Previously, due to technological and material limitations, local enterprises mainly relied on recycled materials to compete in the low-end market. Now, a few domestic companies, leveraging cost advantages and technological innovations, have successfully produced high-quality PVB interlayers with market competitiveness.

Expanding from Basic to Functional Types: Traditional PVB interlayers are primarily used for safety purposes, but their applications are expanding towards functional uses, including heat insulation, sound insulation, and multifunctional films. Heat insulation films effectively block infrared rays and are widely used in building and automotive glass to reduce air conditioning usage and enhance comfort; sound insulation films reduce noise through special structures, enhancing tranquility inside buildings and vehicles.

Growing Demand for PV-Grade PVB Interlayers: Due to their high light transmittance, anti-aging properties, and low electrical resistance, PV-grade PVB interlayers are gradually becoming the preferred choice for PV module encapsulation. Previously constrained by process and cost limitations, the application scope of this product was limited. However, with improvements in double-glass module processes and reductions in production costs, market demand has steadily increased, driving its application in larger-scale PV module production.

Overall, the continuous advancement of PVB interlayer technology and the increasing market demand will drive its development in multiple fields, such as Building Integrated Photovoltaics (BIPV). BIPV represents the perfect combination of PV and architecture, serving as part of the building's external structure, providing both power generation and aesthetic enhancement.

In solar glass modules, PVB encapsulation films have several advantages over EVA films: longer service life, higher sag resistance, superior safety performance, and long-term stability. The thermoplastic and non-crosslinking characteristics of PVB films enable them to provide higher penetration resistance and post-breakage performance in PV buildings, meeting the higher requirements for PV films in BIPV applications. Therefore, in building applications, PVB films will gradually replace EVA films as the preferred choice.