Heliatek, a global solar technology company, has opened the world's first flexible organic solar panel manufacturing facility in Dresden, Germany.
The lighter and thinner solar panels from Heliatek provide complete design freedom for manufacturers in terms of transparencies, colors and dimensions than conventional photovoltaic products. These organic photovoltaic panels, weighing just 500 grams per square meter, can be used in a wide range of applications. The company has made €14 million investment to construct the first production line.
The Dresden facility produces organic solar panels using vacuum deposition roll-to-roll process at low temperatures. The process has an ability to considerably reduce costs in volume production. Heliatek is the world’s only manufacturer that produces solar panels using vacuum deposition of oligomers or small molecules on flexible films, while other manufacturers depend on printing processes. The benefits of vacuum deposition process are longer life span, higher efficiency and enhanced process control.
Heliatek has selected Dresden, as it offers a strong research and development network, best condition for local production and others. The company will launch its flexible organic solar product for ‘Energy-2-Go’ uses in the autumn of 2012.
Thibaud Le Séguillon, Heliatek’s CEO, stated that the company has achieved a milestone in the commercialization of oligomer-based organic solar films. He also added that the construction will be followed by process integration and the next step being mass production of films for the BIPV market. To achieve this strategy, Heliatek plans to raise €50 million through another financing round to add another production line.
Current investors of the company include Wellington Partners, Innogy Venture Capital (RWE), Bosch and BASF Venture Capital.
Source: http://www.heliatek.com/