Ascent Solar Achieves Specific Power Milestone of 1900 W/kg at AM0 Using CIGS Technology
October 25 2023 - 8:30AM
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 https://www.ascentsolar.com or follow the Company
on LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter).
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Statements in this press release that are not
statements of historical or current fact constitute
"forward-looking statements" including statements about the
financing transaction, our business strategy and the potential uses
of the proceeds from the transaction. Such forward-looking
statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other
unknown factors that could cause the company's actual operating
results to be materially different from any historical results or
from any future results expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking
statements on our current assumptions, expectations and projections
about future events. In addition to statements that explicitly
describe these risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to
consider statements that contain terms such as “will,” "believes,"
"belief," "expects," "expect," "intends," "intend," "anticipate,"
"anticipates," "plans," "plan," to be uncertain and
forward-looking. No information in this press release should be
construed as any indication whatsoever of our future revenues,
stock price, or results of operations. The forward-looking
statements contained herein are also subject generally to other
risks and uncertainties that are described from time to time in the
company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission
including those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in our
most recently filed reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q.
MEDIA CONTACTSpencer HerrmannFischTank
PRascent@fischtankpr.com
INVESTOR CONTACTir@ascentsolar.com
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