SolarShield's supplier partners have disclosed material composition, test-exposure data, mechanism details and IP backing for the coating systems we are preparing for Australian pilot validation. The specifications below are supplier-stated under Tier 2 evidence. Australian site outcomes require local pilot data before any commercial claim is made.
Headline parameters
Super-hydrophilic formulation
Supplier-stated, post-coating
Pencil-hardness scale
Supplier-stated, format dependent
Mechanism · Material · Deployment · IP
ExploreCore mechanisms · 01
Coatings work through different surface-chemistry mechanisms. The mechanism that suits your asset depends on rainfall pattern, dominant pollution type, panel technology and access cost. We match formulation to context, not the other way around.
Super-hydrophilic surface chemistry (contact angle below 8°) allows rainwater to spread into a continuous water film that lifts particulates from the panel surface. Designed for rain-rich climates where natural precipitation can do the cleaning work.
Key specs
Best for
General PV · coastal & humid Australian climates
High water-contact-angle formulations cause water to bead into spheres that roll across the surface, picking up loose particulates. Designed for dust-prone, lower-rainfall climates where shedding outperforms sheeting.
Key specs
Best for
Inland dust-prone climates · semi-arid Australian sites
A TiO₂-based active layer breaks down organic deposits — bird droppings, organic dust, biofilms — under UV exposure. Provides ongoing surface activation across the coating's service life, rather than a one-time cleaning event.
Key specs
Best for
Bird-active areas · agricultural / organic dust profiles
One supplier partner has disclosed a light-conversion mechanism that converts sub-400 nm UV wavelengths into usable visible-spectrum light — potentially broadening the absorption window of underlying PV cells. Single-supplier disclosure; broader Tier 2 cross-validation is pending.
Key specs
Best for
Specialist formulations · supplier-stated only
Supplier-stated only — broader Tier 2 cross-validation pending.
Material datasheet · 02
Every value below is supplier-disclosed and traceable to a specific test method or production specification. Australian SDS and AICIS documentation is being prepared in parallel.
Tier 2 evidence
These specifications support qualified statements — not Australian-pilot-proven performance figures. Local validation is required before any commercial claim.
TiO₂ photocatalyst + nano-SiO₂
Hybrid organic-inorganic resin matrix
Published national standard
TiO₂-based photocatalyst dispersions (China)
Liquid concentrate
Field-applied or factory roller-coated
≥ 94%
Post-coating, supplier-stated
Validated by supplier
Spectral curve disclosed across 380 – 1094 nm
< 400 nm
UV-A and below filtered by coating layer
≥ 4H
Abrasion-resistance grade
10⁶ – 10⁸ Ω
Anti-static behaviour
3 – 10 yrs
Supplier-stated, format & exposure dependent
Confirmed
Neutral salt-fog test
Confirmed
Chemical-resistance test
Confirmed
Accelerated humid-heat aging
Confirmed
Accelerated UV exposure
Non-toxic (oral), non-irritating (skin)
Supplier health & safety data; AU SDS pending
Deployment · 03
Application method is selected on site economics — access constraints, asset scale, panel type and timeline. We size the pilot deployment around the realities of your operation, not the other way around.
D-01
Hand-applied with calibrated scraping tools across cleaned, dried panel surfaces. Used for small-to-mid distributed sites where access cost and crew mobilisation are key constraints.
Coverage
20 – 80 m² / L
Heavier soiling profiles use 20–40 m²/L; lighter soiling 60–80 m²/L
Best for
Commercial rooftops · small-to-mid distributed PV
Constraints
D-02
Supplier-engineered robotic applicator combines surface cleaning and coating deposition in a single pass. Designed for large-area utility-scale and multi-site portfolio deployments.
Coverage
Scaled to area
Robot pre-cleans and coats; throughput depends on row design and panel orientation
Best for
Utility-scale farms · multi-site portfolios
Constraints
D-03
Pressurised spray application for hard-to-access retrofits and ARC-glass surfaces. Particularly useful for coastal solar assets and irregular module configurations.
Coverage
15 – 25 m² / L
Overspray accounted for; higher consumption rate than scraping
Best for
ARC-glass coatings · retrofit · coastal assets
Constraints
Technical backing · 04
Behind each formulation sits a documented R&D base — published standards, patent filings, peer-reviewed publications and institutional research linkages. SolarShield is responsible for matching that documentation to Australian compliance and pilot evidence requirements.
Supplier R&D base is aligned with a published Chinese national standard for TiO₂-based photocatalyst dispersions, providing a formal reference framework for material composition and performance characterisation.
Across the supplier portfolio: 20+ Chinese invention patents, international PCT filings and peer-reviewed publications in coating-chemistry journals. SolarShield is documenting which IP applies to which formulation as part of supplier due diligence.
One supplier partner's R&D team includes researchers with affiliations to a national photochemistry research laboratory and bionic-interface materials groups at a tier-1 Chinese university. Forms the academic backbone of the photocatalysis approach.
One supplier R&D path proposes a negative-expansion stress-compensation self-healing mechanism: embedded nano-tubes contract under stress and release surfactant repair agents into micro-cracks. Currently at academic-trial maturity, not yet in the commercial product matrix.
R&D path · not yet in commercial product matrix
Next step · 06
Coating selection is site-specific. Different soiling profiles, climate exposures, panel technologies and access constraints call for different mechanisms, formulations and deployment modes. Talk to us about your asset profile and we'll propose a candidate formulation plus pilot design.