[BioSolar Inc.] – Canyon Country-based BioSolar Inc., developer of a breakthrough technology to produce bio-based materials from renewable plant sources that reduce the cost of photovoltaic (PV) solar modules, today reported that the company received the long awaited provisional Relative Thermal Index (RTI) recognition from Underwriters Laboratories (UL) for its BioBacksheet. RTI is the temperature below which a material will not be compromised by long term thermally induced chemical degradation.

UL certification is required for all electronic products and components, such as solar panels, prior to their sale in the general marketplace. BioSolar received UL materials certification for BioBacksheet in February 2011. Since then, UL has been performing long term thermal stability testing on BioBacksheet. The official provisional RTI designation from UL allows solar panel manufacturers to proceed with confidence in integrating BioBacksheet into their panels for full UL certification, which the company expects to be merely a procedural matter.
BioBacksheet is the world’s first and only UL approved bio-based backsheet for use in solar panels, and it is a direct replacement for conventional backsheets currently used in over 70 percent of solar panels in the world. It is the necessary bottom layer of a fully assembled solar panel. BioBacksheet features the following unmatched properties:

Lower Cost – Innovative modification of bio-based polymers derived from caster beans results in a lower cost backsheet compared to conventional petroleum-based backsheets.

Higher Performance – Advanced materials engineering enabled BioBacksheet to exceed almost all performance characteristics of conventional backsheets.

Higher Panel Efficiency –BioBacksheet dissipates heat away from solar cells 70 percent faster than conventional backsheets, allowing them to operate at a lower temperature, which results in higher power output.

Green – BioBacksheet lets solar manufacturers improve their profit margins while being socially responsible. BioBacksheet has also received the USDA BioPreferred Certification, giving BioBacksheet solar panels preferred purchase consideration by all United States government procurement agencies.

Dr. David Lee, the company’s CEO, commented, “This is a defining moment for BioSolar. By receiving the official provisional RTI designation from UL, we have completed the final product development milestone for BioBacksheet. I am pleased to report that we are finally ready to accept commercial orders. During the past two years, we have worked closely with several key solar manufacturers that will now be sending their panel to UL for final certification. Once their revised panels are re-certified with BioBacksheet, these customers will be able to sell their solar panels in the general marketplace.”

The company recently reported that it added a number of sizable foreign and domestic solar companies to its growing list of manufacturers that have received samples and are actively evaluating BioBacksheet for use in their solar panels. The company has also announced its plans to uplist its shares to a senior stock exchange to access institutional capital to fuel its commercial growth.

BioSolar Inc. has developed a breakthrough technology to produce bio-based materials from renewable plant sources that will reduce the cost per watt of solar cells. Most of the solar industry is focused on photovoltaic efficiency to reduce cost. BioSolar is the first company to introduce a new dimension of cost reduction by replacing petroleum-based plastic solar cell components with durable bio-based materials.

A publicly traded company, BioSolar Inc. is located on Soledad Canyon Road at Lost Canyon. Share prices climbed more than 10 percent on Thursday’s news.