TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preferred Article: The laminate article further comprises at least one rigid sheet, where the rigid sheet comprises a material having a modulus of greater than or equal to 100000 psi ( greater than or equal to 690 MPa) (as measured by ASTM Method D-638), where the material is selected from glass sheets, metal sheets, ceramic sheets, and polymeric sheets. The laminate article consists of one glass sheet that is laminated to the polymeric sheet of the bi-layer composite; and further where the PET film is hardcoated on the surface that is opposite from the polymeric sheet. The rigid sheet is a glass sheet, and where the laminate article comprises n plies of the glass sheets and n-1 plies of the additional polymeric interlayer sheets, where is n is 2-7; the n plies of the glass sheets are interspaced by the n-1 plies of the additional polymeric interlayer sheets to form a (glass/polymer)n-1/glass composite; and the (glass/polymer)n-1/glass composite is further laminated to the polymeric sheet of the bi-layer composite. The laminate article further comprises a solar cell layer, the solar cell layer comprises one solar cell or several solar cells that are electrically interconnected; where the solar cell has a light-receiving side that faces a light source and a non-light-receiving side that faces away from the light source. The laminate further comprises an incident layer and front encapsulant layer; back encapsulant layer and backing layer; or incident layer, front encapsulant layer, back encapsulant layer and backing layer; where the incident layer and the front encapsulant layer comprise the bi-layer composite; or the back encapsulant layer and the backing layer comprise the bi-layer composite. The laminate article further comprises an incident layer selected from glass sheets; polymeric sheets (s1) comprising or made of polycarbonates, acrylics, polyacrylates, cyclic polyolefins, polystyrenes, polyamides, polyesters, and/or fluoropolymers; and polymeric films (f1) comprising or made of polyesters, polycarbonate, polyolefins, norbornene polymers, polystyrene, styrene-acrylate copolymers, acrylonitrile-styrene copolymers, polysulfones, nylons, polyurethanes, acrylics, cellulose acetates, cellophane, poly(vinyl chlorides), and/or fluoropolymers. The laminate article further comprises a backing layer selected from glass sheets; the polymeric sheets (s1); the polymeric films (f1); metal sheets, and ceramic plates. Preferred Components: The PET film is a bi-axially oriented poly(ethylene terephthalate) film with a thickness of 4-7 mil (0.1-0.18 mm). The PET film is further coated with an abrasion resistant hardcoat on the surface that is opposite from the polymeric sheet. The abrasion resistant hardcoat comprises or is made from polysiloxanes, cross-linked polyurethanes, or compositions prepared by reacting hydroxyl-containing oligomers with isocyanate-containing oligomers or anhydride-containing oligomers with epoxide-containing compounds, (preferably polysiloxanes). The PET film is further coated with a poly(allylamine) on the surface that is adjacent to the polymeric sheet. The polymeric sheet comprises a poly(vinylbutyral) and a plasticizer and has a thickness of 15-60 mil (0.38-1.5 mm). The polymeric sheet comprises a poly(vinylbutyral) and a plasticizer and the PET film is coated with a poly(allylamine) on the surface that is adjacent to the polymeric sheet and an acrylic based primer under the hardcoat. The surface of the PET film is surface-treated and where the surface-treatment is an energy treatment or priming with an adhesive material selected from silanes, poly(alkyl amines), or acrylic based primers. The polymeric sheet comprises or is made from a polymeric material (m1) selected from poly(vinyl acetals), acid copolymers, ionomers, poly(ethylene vinyl acetates), polyurethanes, poly(vinyl chlorides), polyethylenes, polyolefin block elastomers, poly( alpha -olefin-co- alpha , beta -ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid ester), silicone elastomers, and/or epoxy resins. The poly(vinyl acetal) is a poly(vinylbutyral). The polymeric sheet further comprises a plasticizer. The additional polymeric interlayer sheet(s) comprises a polymer selected from the polymeric material (m1). The solar cell(s) are wafer-based solar cell(s) selected from crystalline silicon (c-Si) based and multi-crystalline silicone (mc-Si) based solar cells and the laminate article consists of, counting from a front side that faces to the light source to a back side that faces away from the light source, an incident layer, a front encapsulant layer, the solar cell layer, the bi-layer composite with the polymeric sheet being adjacent to the solar cell layer. The solar cell(s) are thin film solar cells selected from amorphous silicon (a-Si), microcrystalline silicon ( mu c-Si), cadmium telluride (CdTe), copper indium selenide (CIS), copper indium/gallium diselenide (CIGS), light absorbing dyes, or organic semiconductors based solar cells, and the laminate article consists of, counting from a front side that faces the light source to a back side that faces away from the light source, a superstrate; the solar cell layer comprising a layer of the thin film solar cells deposited on the superstrate; and the bi-layer composite with the polymeric sheet being adjacent to the solar cell layer, where the PET film is further coated with an abrasion resistance hardcoat on the surface that is opposite from the polymeric sheet.