Lightweight modules with substructures
Adhesive solar panels: 40 kg of ballast is replaced by 200 grams of adhesive
Munich, June 2026. SunOyster Systems GmbH (SOS), a specialist in solar trackers and lightweight photovoltaic modules, presented its new premium adhesive module, PVbondi®, for the first time at Intersolar. This innovation is based on successful lightweight PV modules with glass fronts which SOS introduced in the German market. It sets new standards in terms of yield, safety, durability, and ease of installation.
Lightweight PV modules are bonded to the roof and often replace a 40 kg of aluminum racks and concrete blocks per square meter with just 200 grams of adhesive. The total weight per square meter of roof surface then drops from 50 to 5 kg. The adhesive strength is up to 15 metric tons per module, providing much greater protection against the modules being lifted off during storms than the standard ballasting used on flat roofs. The first lightweight PV modules on the market were initially polymer modules. However, these often have a rough surface that is prone to dirt accumulation and are so flexible that they sag between the support points and develop dents.
Lightweight adhesive-mounted PV modules with substructures
As part of its first innovation initiative, SOS introduced adhesive modules with glass fronts to the German market. The G440, with an efficiency of 22.2%, features a top surface made of 2 mm-thick tempered glass. Its smooth surface stays clean and offers optimal rigidity: Although it can flexibly adapt to the curves of a barrel-vaulted roof or the undulations of a flat roof, it does not sag. With more than 5,000 modules installed in dozens of projects to date, there has not been a single complaint regarding these modules. The module is an excellent solution for millions of roofs that were long considered unsuitable for photovoltaics due to limited load-bearing capacity.
For flat roofs with membrane or bitumen waterproofing, however, SunOyster Systems with ist second innovation literally raises lightweight modules to a new level:
“Our new PVbondi® is fitted with polymer sub-structures right at the factory; the modules are glued to the roof via the underside of these substructures, which lift the modules about 5 cm above the flat roof. This not only provides the modules with better protection against standing water on the roof. The module is also better ventilated from behind, resulting in approximately 3% higher energy yield compared to lightweight modules bonded directly to the roof. In addition, the cables - which would otherwise be located on top of the lightweight module - can be routed along the back of the module, where they are protected from UV radiation,” said Dr. Carsten Corino, founder of SunOyster Systems.
And Sales Manager Amelie Krahl adds: “Insurance companies love the highest fire resistance class, Class A, as defined by UL Standard 790. The PVbondi®, a glass-on-glass module, is set to become the only adhesive module in the world to achieve this Class A rating, pending the certification process currently underway.”
“We’re saving a lot of time. Just the other day, we installed 350 modules with six persons in a single day,” says workshop manager Stephan Ulrich, delighted that the lightweight modules can be installed so quickly: “The PVbondi® can do everything a conventional premium module can do, and you don’t have to spend so much time for setting up solar racks or hauling tons of concrete blocks!” In addition to the short installation time, eliminating the need for aluminum and ballast also reduces material costs. This makes the PVbondi® a serious competitor to conventional modules, even on roofs without load restrictions.
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