News

11 October 2010

 

Ascent becomes first flexible monolithically integrated CIGS PV module maker with external IEC 61646 certification

Ascent Solar Technologies Inc of Thornton, CO, USA says that it has become the first manufacturer of thin-film flexible monolithically integrated copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) modules to receive full IEC 61646 certification, upon completion of environmental testing conducted by an independent laboratory. The modules passed the complete range of tests required, including the standard of 1000 hours of damp heat testing (85% relative humidity and 85°C temperature) set forth by IEC for performance and long-term reliability.

Ascent Solar says that this opens the door for it to penetrate building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) and building-applied photovoltaic (BAPV) applications for commercial, industrial and residential rooftop markets. BIPV is the fastest-growing PV segment, and should grow to $6.6bn by 2015, according to analyst firm Nanomarkets.

“We are now looking forward to demonstrating our ability to compete with existing technologies currently being used for large commercial, industrial and residential rooftop applications by adding new beta-site installations in addition to those completed with existing and new potential customers that have been waiting for this development,” says Ascent Solar’s president & CEO Dr Farhad Moghadam. “We have a significant advantage when it comes to power-to-weight ratios and the real capability our product has to reduce balance of systems costs, in turn reducing overall system installed cost to the end customer,” he adds.

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