Ascent Solar Achieves Specific Power Milestone of 1900 W/kg at AM0 Using CIGS Technology
THORNTON, Colo., Oct. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ascent Solar Technologies, (Nasdaq: ASTI) (“ASTI” or the “Company”), the leading U.S. innovator in the design and manufacture of featherweight, flexible, and durable CIGS thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solutions, announced today its latest CIGS technology has achieved a measured Specific Power of 1900 W/kg at AM0. Specific Power refers to the power-to-weight ratio for a system or component, specifically watts per kilogram.
The Specific Power rate is the most important factor for solar applications where overall array mass is crucial, including those in the Aerospace sector, where the cost per kilogram is between 2-25k dollars to launch payloads into low earth orbit (LEO). Higher energy orbits such as geosynchronous equatorial orbit (GEO) or cislunar space typically run an order of magnitude more per kg, with payloads intended for moon landing having been booked for over $1 Million/kg.
AM0, also known as Air Mass 0, refers to the standard solar spectrum that represents solar radiation outside Earth's atmosphere, in the vacuum of space. The current range of Specific Power for crystalline solar technologies deployed in space is 100-400 watts per kilogram, making ASTI’s latest achievement particularly impressive as a power solution in the space environment.
Ascent’s thin-film solar is ideal for use in a space environment due to its radiation resistance, resilience to physical damage, self-annealing, as well as ultralight weight and flexibility. With recent advances in power density, Ascent can provide meaningful power for space customers without the increased cost of mass. There is a fixed amount of mass and volume available for current mission launches, and by increasing power density Ascent can increase the system power available, with no increases to mass and volume. As a result, there is no impact to launch cost, enabling space missions to get even more out of the current and growing number of orbital launch providers.
“Ascent streamlines the otherwise onerous process of assembly, integration, and testing for solar arrays for satellites and other spacecrafts,” said Paul Warley, CEO of Ascent Solar Technologies. “Our Plug & FlyTM array solutions eliminate the scheduling impacts needed to pick, place, wire, solder, and test individual cells while simultaneously reducing the cleanroom space bottleneck that the process typically requires. Ascent technology can prevent space vehicle and system integrators from having to deal with thousands of credit card sized components and delicate interconnects between them by instead providing them a single thin-film solar array with pre-integrated and tested PV modules.”
“Our most recent performance improvements now make Ascent space products viable drop-in replacement power generation solutions that can also produce more power over the course of a mission. This translates to saving multiple kilograms for mission managers and spacecraft engineers balancing spacecraft power and mass budgets. We’re excited to advance the technology that enables the next generation of more efficient, higher-powered space vehicles, and the emerging markets they are now poised to create and serve with these new efficiencies.”
ABOUT ASCENT SOLAR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Backed by 40 years of R&D, 15 years of manufacturing experience, numerous awards, and a comprehensive IP and patent portfolio, Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of innovative, high-performance, flexible thin-film solar panels for use in environments where mass, performance, reliability, and resilience matter. Ascent’s photovoltaic (PV) modules have been deployed on space missions, multiple airborne vehicles, agrivoltaic installations, in industrial/commercial construction as well as an extensive range of consumer goods, revolutionizing the use cases and environments for solar power. Ascent Solar’s research and development center and 5-MW nameplate production facility is in Thornton, Colorado. To learn more, visit or follow the Company on and
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