Introducing solar film as an innovative “green” strategy
It’s safe to conclude that “green power” is progressing significantly in light of our latest round-up of 2022’s most significant renewable energy solutions. The newest developments focus on accessibility, adaptation, and flexibility across various industries, including agriculture, construction, and transportation, in addition to providing greener alternatives to fossil fuels.
Solar film, a relatively new product created by European businesses like the German company Heliatek and the French company Solar Cloth, serves as an example of this evolution in the field of renewable energy. Although contemporary solar panels are an excellent source of clean energy, the majority of surfaces cannot accommodate their installation due to their rigid design. With our solar films, we can now unlock a tremendous amount of potential, writes Heliatek.
These pliable “panels” are flexible, lightweight, and simple to install, and they exhibit the same performance as conventional solar systems.
Heliatek: a company that uses organic photovoltaics
Buildings all around the nation and the world have been using Heliatek’s ready-to-use film, HeliaSol, since 2017. The product can cover many more surfaces than conventional panels, generating more energy daily, from a school to a wind turbine tower and a logistics center. It can also be used to coat facades or make up the roofing structure.
The solar film is made to resemble a sticker and is extremely thin, flexible, and lightweight. Over vast surfaces, it may be set up in a matter of hours. Performance-wise, the movie can produce 85W/sqm and has a carbon footprint of less than 10 g CO2e/kW. This makes it one of the most environmentally friendly clean energy alternatives available.
The company uses organic photovoltaics (OPV) technology to create the film, which turns light into power by employing semiconductors. ‘Our solar films’ organic stack is made up of numerous individual layers, but its overall thickness is a few thousandths of a millimeter only.
Our solar films are extremely lightweight, flexible, ultra-thin, and completely green. According to the company, this makes them the ideal option for all surfaces and situations where traditional PV modules do not fit, mounting systems are more expensive, or building standards prohibit it.
Along with HeliaSol, the German company has also introduced HeliaFilm, a stick-on roll of film that is both lightweight and flexible. Given that it adheres to metal, glass, and concrete, its uses are essentially endless. Playing with changes in hue and transparency, Heliatek is especially interested in creating Heliafilm for better glass integration.
Solar Cloth: Photovoltaic films made of CIGS
France-based Solar Cloth is another brand that is succeeding in this sector. In October 2019, the company unveiled its encapsulated cell rollable M170 solar film variation. The device may be put on any surface, rounded or straight, and has a thickness of 0.5 mm and 170W/sqm power. However, this time around, the photovoltaic fabrics used in the M170 were created using CIGS technology (Copper, Indium, Gallium, and Selenium). Additionally, this method heavily relies on material recycling, giving the company’s creating a more “green” feel.
According to Solar Cloth, the CIGS-based technology has produced a 17.2% yield for the first time on a roll-up textile base with decreased production costs.
Jonas Muthoni is an entrepreneur and renewable energy expert. He is the founder of MicroGridMedia.com, a website dedicated to bringing the latest news and information about solar energy and other renewable energy sources to the public. Jonas is passionate about promoting sustainable energy solutions and educating the public about the benefits of renewable energy. He is a regular speaker at industry events and conferences and is committed to driving the transition to a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.