- Seeing potential in commercial production of perovskite solar technology, Ascent Solar has announced a strategic move
- It has repurposed its 5 MW nameplate production fab in Colorado for industrial commercialization of perovskite technology
- The company claims over 20% lab efficiencies for its perovskite technology which will now be readied for industrial production
A promising news for perovskite solar technology enthusiasts as CIGS thin-film solar PV company Ascent Solar Technologies from the US has repurposed its 5 MW Thornton facility as a Perovskite Center of Excellence (COE) for industrial commercialization of its technology, ‘effective immediately’, for which it claims lab efficiencies of over 20%.
This patent-pending perovskite technology of Ascent is comparable with rigid solar panels, the company added.
Currently, Ascent Solar’s 5 MW nameplate production fab in Thornton, Colorado produces flexible thin-film CIGS panels for space missions, multiple airborne-vehicles, agrivoltaic installations along with a range of consumer goods.
Recently Ascent said it will acquire thin-film solar production equipment from an unidentified European manufacturer in Europe to expand its geographic footprint that operates a 15 MW plant. Ascent also gets an option to acquire controlling stake in the company including its 40 MW thin-film CIGS fab (see US Thin Film Module Maker Expanding Into Europe).
“This global production provides us with the near-term flexibility to make this significant investment in taking Perovskite gains from lab to fab. When translated to industrial scale, the efficiency gains we’ve recorded in the lab will be a game changer for the solar industry,” said Ascent’s President and CEO Jeffrey Max.
Listed on the NASDAQ, Ascent reported 101% annual increase in its 2022 revenues of $1.2 million which went up due to its joint venture with German thin-film tube manufacturer for agricultural production sector TubeSolar. Yet its net loss was -$19.8 million.
