CIGS modules are generally cheaper to produce than either silicon-based or thin-film panels - and their conversion efficiency is on par with those technologies. SoloPower's flexible CIGS panels could open the solar market by reducing the cost of going solar, National Renewable Energy Laboratory principal scientist Rommel Noufi said.
"The certification of SoloPower's flexible CIGS module is an important step toward the realization of lightweight, high-power, flexible solar modules with potential to expand the roof-top solar market and reduce balance of system costs," he noted.
SoloPower's CEO, Tim Harris, hinted that production capacity would be ramped up in the wake of the UL's certification of the flexible CIGS module. SoloPower, he said, is "in the process of adding a second manufacturing line that will significantly increase capacity to meet expected demand."
Demand for the company's new modules could be substantial. For many homeowners, the biggest obstacle to solar adoption is cost - and a less-pricey option like SoloPower's flexible CIGS panels could be ideal.
