Mar 13 2013
Magnolia Solar Corporation ("Magnolia Solar") announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, Magnolia Solar, Inc., has demonstrated a flexible CIGS solar cell with an efficiency of 13 percent, rivaling the average efficiency of current PV technologies and proving that flexible thin film solar cells are potentially a viable solution for various energy needs.
The flexible CIGS solar cell, made using thin, flexible stainless steel and titanium substrates, was developed and produced by the U.S. Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium (PVMC) on behalf of Magnolia Solar at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering's (CNSE) Solar Energy Development Center (SEDC) located in Halfmoon, New York.
This flexible solar cell demonstration is the result of the successful and continuing collaborative research effort between Magnolia Solar, CNSE, and PVMC, and is supported by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). To increase the adoption of game-changing clean energy solutions, Magnolia Solar intends to continue to work with CNSE to further develop high-efficiency flexible solar cells for defense and commercial applications, making use of their significant advantages over inflexible solar cells that are made using crystalline silicon and thin film solar cells on glass.
Dr. Ashok K. Sood, President and CEO of Magnolia Solar Corporation, said, "We are working with the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering through our research and development center located at CNSE's Albany NanoTech Complex to further improve the PV production process and demonstrate AR coating technology on high-efficiency solar cells. We are also grateful for NYSERDA's support and for our collaboration with CNSE and the U.S. Photovoltaic Manufacturing Consortium, part of the Department of Energy's SunShot Photovoltaic Manufacturing Initiative (PVMI)."
CNSE Professor and Vice President for Clean Energy Programs Dr. Pradeep Haldar said, "As further testament to Governor Andrew Cuomo's vision and leadership in catalyzing New York's innovation-driven economy, the results of CNSE's collaboration with Magnolia Solar demonstrate a unique ability to tap the vast potential of solar energy. Through its leadership in PVMC, CNSE is delighted to work with companies like Magnolia Solar to lower the costs of solar energy production, making this clean energy resource even more competitive by taking advantage of New York's world-class research and development ecosystem."
Magnolia Solar has filed multiple patents to protect its intellectual property, and the company continues to add to its patent portfolio. Magnolia is also making progress with further improvements to the CIGS solar cells and nanostructured AR coating technology for solar cell applications. This nanostructured antireflection coating uses oblique angle nanostructure growth, thereby enhancing energy absorption and minimizing reflection loss.