“I’m walking on sunshine, wooah, I’m walking on sunshine, woooah, I’m walking on sunshine, woooah, And don’t it feel good!” If Katrina And The Waves knew how literal their song’s lyrics would become, they most probably would have jumped at the opportunity to advertise this new product. This innovative solar film makes any surface photovoltaic, revolutionizing how we think about solar energy. Pretty soon, we could all be walking on sunshine!
The limitations of traditional solar panels
The world struggles to meet the insatiable energy demand, and with carbon-emitting fossil fuels losing their appeal, we must turn to renewable energy solutions. One example of an energy source that is not depleted when used is the sun. The most effective way to harvest solar energy is by using solar panels, but they are far from perfect.
Traditional panels are typically heavy and require vast areas of space, which limits their installation option and applicability. For example, they cannot be used on lightweight, spiral, or irregularly shaped roofs. According to Constellation, other disadvantages of traditional panels include:
- Expensive up-front fees
- Aesthetically unappealing
- Difficult disposal due to certain components’ toxic materials
Enter Heliatek, a company with expertise in evolving and creating organic photovoltaic (OPV) solar films. The company engineered a photovoltaic solution that not only addresses many of the disadvantages of traditional panels but also revolutionizes the entire solar energy sector.
This ultra-thin film is a pioneering photovoltaic technology
Heliatek’s pioneering technology is called HeliaSol, which is a flexible, organic photovoltaic film that is ultra-thin. One film weighs less than 2 kg and is thinner than 2 mm. It has an impressive bending radius of up to 50 cm, showcasing its significant flexibility. One film can be broken down into four simple components:
- An evaporated organic stack carrier film
- An encapsulation that shields the organic stack against ecological impact
- An embedded adhesive backside
- Circuit panel and cables
This German-engineered technology does not utilize rare earths or any other rare materials for its engineering, highlighting their stance against geopolitical instabilities. Heliatek only uses organic photovoltaic materials during manufacturing. Thanks to its manufacturing facility at its headquarters in Dresden, Germany, with a floor space of only 5,000 square meters, it manufactures up to 2 million square meters of HeliaSol annually.
The solution to almost all your problems
HeliaSol is more than an energy-producing photovoltaic system, as most challenges faced with traditional panels are resolved. Thanks to the film’s flexibility and light weight, it can be installed on numerous surfaces, such as concrete, metal, glass, membranes, and bitumen. This means that any roof, facade, or building, whether round or curved, can become a green energy-producing system. All you have to do is apply it as a “sticker” thanks to its adhesive backing.
The HeliaSol photovoltaic films are certified for IEC 61215 together with IEC 61730 from TÜV Rheinland, which ensures that these photovoltaic films meet the required durability and safety requirements. They also have a 20-year warranty. In a nutshell, the advantages of HeliaSol are:
- Carbon footprint less than 10g carbon dioxide per kilowatt-hour
- Carbon Payback Time of less than 100 days
- Economic viability
- Wide range of applications
- Commercial availability
- Temperature independence
- Easy installation
- Minimal maintenance
- Environmentally friendly
- Virtually unlimited electricity
Heliatek’s innovative photovoltaic films will truly revolutionize the solar energy sector, providing a viable solution to the challenges normally faced with traditional panels. As easy as one, two, three, anyone will be able to create their clean energy solution, no matter where they are. Very soon, you will not just walk on sunshine, but you will drive, run, camp, and work with it! This technology will speed up the global transition to carbon zero in no time.
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