Dow Makes Green Investments

Dow Chemical says it plans to begin commercial-scale production of new polyolefin-based encapsulation films for crystalline silicon and thin-film silicon solar-cell modules at its plant in Findlay, Ohio. Slated to come on-line during the fourth quarter of this year, the Enlight brand of films can provide greater module stability and better electrical performance than other encapsulants, such as ethylene vinyl acetate-based products, Dow says. Separately, Dow’s venture capital arm has purchased a minority interest in Blade Dynamics, a U.K.-based developer and manufacturer of advanced wind-turbine blades. Blade Dynamics is planning a manufacturing facility in New Orleans on the site of NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility.