Skip to main content

This US solar company is about to ramp up flexible thin-film solar

Thin-film solar panel maker Ascent Solar Technologies announced today that it’s going to repurpose its Thornton, Colorado, factory to accelerate industrial-scale commercialization of perovskite solar modules.

Perovskite solar cells use a thin film of perovskite to harvest light, and they have the potential to be a low-cost, power-conversion-efficient alternative to traditional silicon-based solar cells.

However, perovskite solar cells still have some stability, environmental, and scalability issues, but efforts to work out the kinks in recent years by such research groups as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory have delivered promising results.

So the folks at Ascent have now decided that it’s time to take the next step forward, dedicating its Thornton factory to the development of perovskite solar cell manufacturing.

Ascent’s lightweight and flexible solar modules have been used in such applications as portable charging, unmanned aerial vehicles, and building-integrated photovoltaics, and it’s now going to convert its patent-pending perovskite solar technology to industrial scale.

The factory, which Ascent calls a “Perovskite Center of Excellence,” will feature R&D, manufacturing, and operations along with $30 million of industrial equipment.

Last week, Ascent announced that it’s signed an agreement to acquire manufacturing assets from a “leading European manufacturer of thin-film solar technology and a worldwide license of its intellectual property portfolio” for $5 million.

Top comment by OliveBoomerang

Liked by 5 people

Rather than the author simply rewriting the press release, it would have been useful to state the problems with thin film perovskite panels. That way the readers would learn something, for example why it’s not appropriate to wrap their cars in the stuff. It’s not sufficient to state that the technology has stability, environmental, and scalability issues. The author that they are being paid to research, not simply rewrite already existing material.

View all comments

Jeffrey Max, president and CEO of Ascent Solar, said, “We’re fortunate that we have a manufacturing facility of this scope that we can dedicate to developing and delivering innovative Perovskite solar PV at scale… When translated to industrial scale, the efficiency gains we’ve recorded in the lab will be a game changer for the solar industry.”

Read more: Biden administration announces $56 million for US solar manufacturing

Photo: Ascent Solar/Twitter


UnderstandSolar is a free service that links you to top-rated solar installers in your region for personalized solar estimates. Tesla now offers price matching, so it’s important to shop for the best quotes. Click here to learn more and get your quotes. — *ad.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Stay up to date with the latest content by subscribing to Electrek on Google News. You’re reading Electrek— experts who break news about Tesla, electric vehicles, and green energy, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow Electrek on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our YouTube channel for the latest reviews.

Comments

Author

Avatar for Michelle Lewis Michelle Lewis

Michelle Lewis is a writer and editor on Electrek and an editor on DroneDJ, 9to5Mac, and 9to5Google. She lives in White River Junction, Vermont. She has previously worked for Fast Company, the Guardian, News Deeply, Time, and others. Message Michelle on Twitter or at michelle@9to5mac.com. Check out her personal blog.