Silicon Ink Solar Panels

Silicon Ink Solar Panels

There are plenty of competitors in solar energy who are aiming to be first in bringing cost-effective solar technology to the masses. One of the most interesting solar companies is Innovalight.

Innovalight is privately held and based in Sunnyvale, California. The company is developing a platform of low-cost, high-performance silicon-based solar cells based on silicon nanotechnology and ink-jet technology. Innovalight is redefining solar energy manufacturing. Using high precision inkjet manufacturing, Innovalight will replace many of the costly manufacturing steps required to make solar modules today.

At the core of Innovalight’s technology is its proprietary silicon ink. Silicon ink combines the material advantages of silicon with the cost advantages of liquid based processing. Silicon is the second most abundant element in the earth’s crust, is non-toxic and has a rich history in both semiconductor and solar industries. However, processing this high purity material today is expensive due to substantial electrical and capital equipment requirements. Shifting from low throughput vacuum based processing to high throughput atmospheric inkjet manufacturing will retain the material advantages while reducing the cost to produce the product, which is a necessity for solar energy to compete with carbon emitting sources of electricity.

Innovalight has spent the last six years designing, developing and scaling its silicon ink technology. The silicon ink can be used for a variety of different applications, but Innovalight has focused solely on solar energy in order to accelerate its time to market. To date, the company has over sixty patents at various stages in the patent process. To further advance the technology, Innovalight has worked closely with leading research institutions, including the United States National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).

The end product is a high efficiency, low-cost and highly reliable silicon based solar module which will bring solar energy to the masses.

Innovalight is venture capital backed by ARCH Venture Partners, Apax Partners, Convexa Capital, Harris & Harris Group, Inc., Scatec,Sevin Rosen Funds and Triton Ventures. Innovalight has also received funding from the United States Department of Energy.

innovalight.com