Soloptics, a division of Genie Lens Technologies, LLC, announced results from recent performance testing of its photovoltaic solar enhancement technology at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
The company’s so-called Fusion product is an optics-based surface application that the company says can increase the conversion efficiency of both new and existing solar panels.
The technology utilizes microstructures that can be embossed or cast into either a thin polymer film and then adhered to a PV panel, either in the factory or in the field, or engineered directly into the protective glass layer utilized in most PV panels produced today.
Soloptics said tests performed by NREL delivered conversion efficiency gains ranging from 10% to 12.5% depending on testing conditions. Soloptics says these gains are possible–regardless of the underlying PV material–for less than $0.10/watt (installed cost).
"The FUSION product shows significant improvement in the PV current over existing technology, particularly under various low level lighting conditions," says Keith Emery, Principal Research Supervisor at the Outdoor Test Facility, NREL’s laboratory to characterize the performance and reliability of PV cells, modules, and small systems.
Soloptics sasy Fusion is the only efficiency boosting technology whose application process can take place in the field–for the film version–or at the production facility, and the installation does not require expensive specialized equipment or labor. FUSION can also be customized based on various factors such as higher/lower diffuse light conditions, specific panel manufacturers, or to filter out specific wavelengths of light.
In addition to Genie Lens’ Soloptics division, Genie Lens sells and licenses its technology in a broad array of industries including consumer goods, electronics, financial services, healthcare/pharmaceuticals, energy and government.
Genie Lens Technologies, LLC and its Soloptics division are headquartered in Englewood, Colorado.
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NREL is seeking project proposals as part of recently announced DOE funding to accelerate commercialization of solar energy technologies.
The Photovoltaic (PV) Technology Incubator project fosters collaboration between U.S. small businesses and NREL and other DOE laboratories and facilities. Funding is intended to focus attention on high-impact areas that are critical to scaling-up PV technology and meet DOE goals to reduce the cost of PV-generated electricity and expand installed PV capacity by 2015.
NREL will accept responses to this Solicitation in two categories: Tier 1 projects will receive up to $1 million through 12 month subcontracts and focus on accelerating the development of innovative PV module-related technologies to the prototype stage. Tier 2 projects will receive up to $4 million through 18 month phased subcontracts and focus on shortening the timeline for companies to transition innovative lab-scale and pre-commercial prototypes into pilot and eventually full-scale manufacture.
Additional information is available here.
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