SolarWindow launches 0.85 mm self-adhesive solar film

A commercial truck roof is one of the places SolarWindow Technologies says its new product could fit. The US-based company has commercially launched ElectroFlex, a 0.85 mm-thick flexible solar film designed for flat and curved surfaces where conventional photovoltaic modules can be too rigid, heavy or difficult to mount.

The product is a five-layer composite laminate. It combines a 0.16 mm solar-cell layer with encapsulant, a copper backing, composite laminate and a rear substrate. SolarWindow says the integrated interdigitated back-contact cells deliver 24.4% power conversion efficiency, while the film’s power-to-weight ratio is approximately 73 W/kg. Customers can also specify its size and color.

The “peel-and-stick” design is meant to remove frames, rigid glass and conventional support structures from the installation. SolarWindow is targeting transportation, marine, aerospace, architecture, agriculture, infrastructure, utility and specialty-vehicle applications, including fleet vehicles, curved trains, drones, aircraft, buildings and data centers. It also supplies wiring, harnesses, electrical systems and power-balancing components for integration.

For customers, the practical change is a broader set of surfaces that could host solar generation without the form factor of a standard panel. ElectroFlex is initially available to Tier 1 original equipment manufacturers in the United States, with expansion to selected North American and Asian markets planned over the coming quarters.

The figures above are those reported by SolarWindow. The company’s separate LiquidElectricity coating, intended for transparent glass and plastic, remains under development and is not part of the ElectroFlex launch.