HelioVolt Solar Technology - 10/27/07

This innovative company is trying to start a revolution that would convey solar electricity to the mass market.  They are trying to reach from small homes to skyscrapers with the thinnest solar skin yet imaginable.  “HelioVolt’s FASST™ technology produces high-performance solar thin-film with pioneering time and materials efficiencies.”   Their product is 10 to 100 times faster than current methods and 100 times thinner than established silicon.  They are also offering easy malleability to several construction materials like metal, steel, glass, some polymers, and composites.  A hopeful new way to renewable energy is their photovoltaic technology.  This will not produce carbon dioxide like coal and there will be no expensive waste disposal or proliferation risks as with nuclear energy.  This is environmentally friendly and it is available everywhere.  The sun is a clean energy source that gives energy generously. 

HelioVolt is bringing thin films to the world after years of silicon dominance.  Their proprietary FASST™ technology objective is to have manufacturing costs of less than $1 per watt.  This makes the photovoltaic market able to compete with fossil fuels.  Their product has a flexible process that increases the market for customized products.  They are also avoiding the shortage and cost of silicon and also avoid the restriction of silicon, which cannot be useful to flexible surfaces.  HelioVolt’s product is 10 to 100 times quicker than existing production of thin-film photovoltaics.  Flexibility is offered with the silicon-free thin-film.  Imagine “solar skin” engulfing high rise buildings.  This product is appropriate for substrate materials other than glass like flexible metals, composites, steel and some polymers.  They also will be in different shapes and sizes which place HelioVolt to lead the large market with economical building integrated photovoltaic products.  The projection from the U.S. Department of Energy is that this possibly would generate 50% of the electricity in developed countries.

To learn more about HelioVolt please visit their website at http://www.heliovolt.net/index.php

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