SoloPower Systems
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Solar energy, Photovoltaics |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Founder | Bulent Basol, Homayoun Talieh |
| Headquarters | Portland, Oregon , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Ultra-lightweight, flexible, thin-film solar panels using CIGS technology |
| Website | solopower |
SoloPower Systems Inc. specializes in the creation of ultra-lightweight, flexible, thin-film Solar Panels utilizing CIGS (Copper indium gallium selenide) technology. Initially developed by SoloPower Inc., a company based in San Jose, California, the proprietary technology is presently owned by SoloPower Systems Inc., which operates as a solar panel design and manufacturing firm headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Their manufacturing method incorporates an electroplating technique that achieves nearly complete material utilization in producing CIGS cells.
Company history
The SoloPower technology originated with SoloPower Inc., established in 2005 by Bulent Basol and Homayoun Talieh, who initiated a pilot production line during the same year. In February 2011, the United States Department of Energy provisionally approved a $197 million Federal Loan Guarantee to facilitate the construction of a high-capacity manufacturing facility in Portland, Oregon. Nevertheless, by early 2013, the company opted to secure private funding instead of relying on public financing to finalize the plant.
In 2012, SoloPower became the first to achieve UL and IEC certification for flexible CIGS solar panels. That March, their modules attained a world-record aperture efficiency of 13.4% for flexible CIGS panels, as validated by the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Additionally, in May 2012, SoloPower received the TiE50 award recognizing excellence in Renewable Energy.
Facing market downturns due to reduced government support and competition from inexpensive international manufacturers, SoloPower Inc. announced in April 2013 the shutdown of its San Jose pilot plant and suspension of activities at its Portland site. Despite these challenges, the Oregon Department of Energy paid $641,835 in rental fees for SoloPower’s Oregon facility during 2017. Subsequently, in July 2013, key creditors transferred ownership of SoloPower’s technology to a newly formed company, Solopower Systems Inc., with plans to restart commercial manufacturing by summer 2014.
Funding
Key financial backers supporting SoloPower’s technology development include Hudson Capital Management, Firsthand Technology Value Fund, Crosslink Capital, and Convexa Capital Ventures, collectively investing around $200 million. The enterprise also received loans and state tax benefits from both the Oregon Department of Energy and the California Energy Commission.
See also
External links
- Articles with short description
- Solar energy companies of the United States
- Photovoltaics manufacturers
- Thin-film cell manufacturers
- Technology companies of the United States
- Companies based in Portland, Oregon
- Energy companies established in 2005
- Renewable resource companies established in 2005
- Technology companies established in 2005
- 2005 establishments in California
- Energy companies established in 2013
- Renewable resource companies established in 2013
- 2013 establishments in Oregon
- American brands
- American companies established in 2005
- American companies established in 2013