10 September 2012

Ascent Solar provides CIGS PV power for Silent Falcon UAS drone

Ascent Solar Technologies Inc of Thornton, CO, USA, which manufactures thin-film photovoltaic modules based on copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) using flexible substrate materials, is collaborating with Silent Falcon UAS Technologies and Bye Aerospace, by providing lightweight, flexible copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS) photovoltaics to power the Silent Falcon unmanned aerial system (UAS).

Silent Falcon is a small tactical UAS drone designed to be easily carried and used for longer-duration intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. Recently unveiled, the drone represents the synergy of several new technologies, including ASTI's flexible photovoltaic modules, to provide a near silent, rapidly deployed platform that has multiple military and civilian applications.

John W. Brown, CEO of Silent Falcon UAS Technologies, said: "We believe that today there is a large and growing global military and public safety agency market for small or tactical unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). In these markets alone, sales exceeding several hundred units per year are possible. As their use in these markets proves their utility and functionality, and as the FAA rules for domestic commercial, civilian use become more clear, we believe the market size and number of annual units sold could increase substantially."

Ascent Solar's president and CEO, Victor Lee, said: "Our collaboration on Silent Falcon represents a key strength of our product, namely that its lightweight and flexible nature can address multiple markets, from consumer electronics to building integrated PV, and that our manufacturing process is sufficiently agile to support them simultaneously. We see this emerging electric drone market expanding rapidly, with applications ranging from military to disaster relief with rapid deployment and recovery with little risk to human life."

Tags: Ascent Solar CIGS

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