We love to disconnect as much as the next person, but do you not sometimes wish you could just roll up and pack in your solar panels when visiting a very remote, almost off-the-grid location? Well, NASA recently announced a secret photovoltaic technology that might just do that. Their solar panel is unlike any other. Not only will it be used for space travel to ensure “big energy for a small spacecraft,” but the innovative technology might soon grace our presence here on Earth.
The company behind NASA’s secret photovoltaic technology
Ascent Solar Technologies is shaking things up in the world of solar energy. They build their thin-film solutions, keeping all application possibilities in mind, to provide solar power solutions for scenarios where traditional rigid panels won’t work. The company was founded in 2005, and its main product is a flexible CIGS solar cell on a plastic substrate.
The company announced that its flexible, thin-layer solar module products will power NASA’s forthcoming small spacecraft mission. The mission, known as Lightweight Integrated Solar Array and AnTenna (LISA-T), aims to evaluate the potential of new, small spacecraft put into orbit. The mission will also assess the introduction of new technologies into NASA’s future missions, including enhancements to use solar energy in space at a lower cost.
How the secret photovoltaic technology works
The LISA-T solar panels are low mass with low packed volume and are reportedly able to produce three times more power than other photovoltaic systems. According to Ascent, their light, bendable solar film consists of a copper-indium-gallium-selenide blend. The mix of metals forms a material thinner than human hair, yet unbreakable, and is relatively inexpensive. The product can be “packaged for any environment,” which makes it more flexible for customers such as NASA.
The technology also has high efficiency (the percentage of solar energy turned into electricity). Per Electrek, a module is approximately 1 square foot and weighs 10 grams. The latest technology’s energy efficiency was cited at 17.55%, which is quite more than the traditional solar panels’ efficiency of 15% to 20%.
“Selection for this upcoming space mission is the culmination of years of Ascent’s work with NASA to optimize the PV modules that enabled LISA-T’s ambitious spacecraft mass and power budgets to close. This mission will demonstrate that previously unachievable spacecraft requirements can in fact be met.” – Paul Warley, CEO of Ascent Solar Technologies.
The secret photovoltaic technology has many applications
Traditional solar panels consist of heavy, rigid silicon-based modules, limiting the application of the technology. Ascent’s lightweight technology provides a solution, making the use of solar energy applicable to unique technologies such as drones or portable power systems.
The not-so-secret-anymore photovoltaic technology will also benefit agrivoltaics, also referred to as the use of land for both solar energy production and agricultural use. It may help solve the conflict of land use, as both agriculture and solar development require large stretches of land. The use of agricultural land will be maximized without having to sacrifice the crucial use of farming equipment.
Ascent also continues to evolve the photovoltaic technology, with the latest release being their Titan line that reportedly achieves even greater energy output efficiency.
“The modules developed for LISA-T informed the design of Ascent’s Titan line of space products, facilitating further maximization of power generation to the extent that spacecraft can produce kilowatts per kilogram of array in the space environment with minimal degradation over the life of the mission.” – Warley
With NASA being able to achieve “big power for small spacecraft,” we cannot wait to see what else will be achievable thanks to Ascent’s photovoltaic technology. It’s no secret that these solar panels that are unlike any other will certainly change and improve our sun-catching ability here on Earth.