At the Solar Power International event in Las Vegas (12-15 September), copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin-film photovoltaic solar cell and panel maker MiaSolé of Santa Clara, CA, USA announced a new sales channel partnership with solar development, engineering, procurement & construction (EPC) and supply company Inovateus Solar of South Bend, IN, USA to distribute MiaSolé's new line of next-generation, ultra-lightweight flexible solar panel products. The strategic sales partnership is intended to help MiaSolé expand the penetration of flexible solar into new markets, new applications and new locations on and off the grid, making it increasingly possible to overcome obstacles to solar adoption.
Compared with previous versions of thin-film, flexible technology, MiaSolé's new flexible solar panels have efficiency of up to 17% (2x that of previous flexible thin-film models), and are thin (only 2.5mm thick), highly wind resistant and shatterproof, and ultra-lightweight (less than 0.5lb per ft2, or 4x lighter than previous flexible solar modules). The ultra-lightweight form makes it possible to open up new applications for solar, reckons the firm. In addition, MiaSolé's new flexible solar product adheres to surfaces with a simple peel-and-stick attachment method, which reduces labor costs and enables more widespread, adaptable installations of the flexible solar modules.
"Since our company's inception, we have been strong supporters of flexible thin-film photovoltaic technology," says Inovateus' president TJ Kanczuzewski.
"Inovateus Solar has an exceptional track record of successfully developing and installing hundreds of megawatts of solar power systems in the US and around the world, as well as supplying solar components to hundreds of distribution customers," comments MiaSolé's VP of product sales & marketing Anil Vijayendran.
