Paper-Thin Plastic Film Soaks Up Sun to Create Solar Energy

About this technology

Overview

In November 1989, Glenn Research Center awarded Iowa Thin Film Technologies with a $50,000 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to research the potential for a lightweight and flexible thin film solar cell that uses amorphous silicon as a semiconductor source, for air and space applications. With this initial-phase funding, Iowa Thin Film Technologies demonstrated that development of the solar technology was viable and, thus, was awarded a $500,000 Phase II contract to move ahead with the manufacturing process, which then occurred over the course of 2 years. Funding from Glenn supported the research and development programs of Iowa Thin Film Technologies in the early years of the company and helped improve the company's process for depositing solar cells on rolls of thin, flexible plastic substrate. Presently, PowerFilm Solar, the solar division of PowerFilm, Inc. (the company previously known as Iowa Thin Film Technologies), manufactures and markets a differentiated line of next-generation, amorphous silicon, thin film solar panels that can easily and economically be integrated with consumer and military products. On the consumer end, the HR-1 Soltronix Solar Rechargeable AM/FM Headphone Radio, features a breakthrough combination of PowerFilm solar technology and premium sound. It automatically recharges itself when in sunlight, even while the user is listening to it. It will even recharge under interior house lighting or on cloudy or rainy days, albeit at a much slower rate. In military applications, PowerFilm Solar is providing solar tents to help meet the Army's growing demand for rapid-response rates and portable, remote power, while eliminating the need for noisy generators, spare batteries, and excessive fuel storage.