October 1, 2014: Royal DSM, the global Life Sciences and Materials Sciences Company, inaugurated its Solar Technologies Demonstration Centre at its DSM Engineering Plastics facility in Pune, India. This state-of-the-art solar technology centre has been built to demonstrate and showcase the performance of DSM's innovations in solar technology and will also reduce the plant's CO₂ footprint by using the renewable energy generated by the solar plant to meet 25% of the site's electricity needs.

Technology for solar energy will play a central role in a more renewable energy balance of the future - a role that will become even more critical and valuable as the technology becomes more efficient and competitive. DSM aims to help enable the penetration of solar energy by focusing on the development and commercialisation of technologies and materials solutions that increase the efficiency and yield of solar modules, thereby increasing the energy generation and reducing the cost of solar electricity.

KhepriCoat?, an anti-reflective coating developed by DSM Advanced Surfaces, significantly increases the efficiency of solar panels by enabling more light to enter a solar device. At the demonstration centre, the coating is successfully applied to panels of different makes and models, validating its performance for the solar industry. The centre will also test a new light trapping technology which DSM is developing, which gives solar panels a performance boost utilising smart 3D structures in a thin plastic foil.

Oscar Goddijn, Vice President, DSM Advanced Surfaces said, "We aspire to be a world leader in materials based solutions for solar photovoltaic technologies. Our newly commissioned solar energy plant in Pune is the first of our demonstration facilities to showcase our technologies to customers and stakeholders around the world. The demonstration centre validates the performance of KhepriCoat, DSM's best-performing anti-reflective coating technology as well as our new light trapping technology and will test and demonstrate future technologies from our stable."

With demand for energy increasing around the world, DSM recognizes the need to use alternative energy solutions for its own use. As an example of this approach, the DSM Engineering Plastics site in Pune now meets 50% of its total electricity requirements from renewable sources, of which 25% from the Solar Technologies Demonstration Centre at the site and 25% already coming from wind power.

"The inauguration of the solar energy plant in Pune marks a milestone for DSM. This is a great example of how we continuously work towards achieving our ambitious sustainability targets, and, set important benchmarks in lowering our own environmental footprint. This is an excellent opportunity to encourage the use of sustainable Clean & Green Power and help support the 'reenergizing' of our environment," said, Bharath Sesha, President, DSM India.

"These latest improvements in Pune are a reflection of DSM's ongoing efforts to reduce environmental footprints, both within its own operations and along its value chains. The Pune site is one of the first sites that uses 50% renewable energy and we are aiming to increase this ratio further in future. The site has also reduced its water consumption by two-thirds. With the commencement of this solar plant, we aim to push our sustainability agenda - which in turn means boosting economic prosperity, environmental quality and social responsibility for the benefit of people and planet.

We have exactly the same drive behind our market positioning in engineering plastics; our innovation efforts are also focused on sustainable development," said Roelof Westerbeek, President DSM Engineering Plastics.