news digest ♦ Solar
Ascent Solar to debut battery & solar case for iPhone 5 and 5s
The CIGS based charger doubles the battery life, giving users hours of additional audio, web and talk time
Ascent Solar Technologies a developer of CIGS, flexible photovoltaic modules, integrated into the company’s EnerPlex series of consumer products, is to debut the Surfr phone case for the iPhone 5 and 5s at CES 2014.
The company claims this is the world’s first and only case designed for the phones utilising both battery and solar technology.
First Solar CdTe modules to power 48MW in France
The company’s cadmium telluride installed capacity in Europe now exceeds 4GW
First Solar’s advanced thin-film photovoltaic (PV) modules will power four solar energy plants in France, with a combined capacity of 48 megawatts (MW).
The projects, developed and owned by Photosol, are being constructed in the country’s Auvergne and Midi- Pyrénées regions: three plants, with a total capacity of 37MW, are located in the communes of Dompierre sur Bresbe, Gennetines and Marmanhac .
A fourth facility, with a capacity of 11MW, is being built in Sarrazac.
Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) services for all four projects are being provided by Jayme da Costa Energie, a leading French engineering company and a longstanding Photosol partner since 2011.
Surfr for iPhone 5
The Surfr case provides not only protection, but doubles the battery life of the iPhone, giving users hours of additional audio, web and talk time. It’s lightweight design is enabled by the thin form factor of Ascent’s proprietary CIGS solar technology, allowing solar to be integrated into the thinnest and lightest solar-enabled case on the Market. The Surfr case has a 2000 mAh lithium ion battery built in and comes in black and five other vibrant colours.
Ascent Solar’s President and CEO, Victor Lee, says, “The iPhone 5s is one of the best examples of ingenuity and design in consumer electronics; EnerPlex has designed an exceptional case which maintains the beauty, form and function of the iPhone while adding the additional battery life consumers so desperately need. The integration of Ascent’s proprietary thin film solar panel provides the added security of knowing that your phone can be charged in time of emergency, when all else fails.”
The plants have been designed to have a minimal impact on the communities and ecosystems they are located in: while three of the facilities are built on pastureland - allowing landowners the additional benefit of being able to graze livestock at the sites - the fourth is sited near an oak forest and includes access for wild animals.
“As France actively promotes the adoption of solar energy, these projects will contribute towards the country’s efforts to diversify its energy mix. We expect these projects to make a significant local impact by providing communities with clean energy and contributing significantly to Europe’s CO2 reduction goals,” says David Guinard, Managing Director of Photosol. “Our choice of First Solar’s thin-film modules was based on a combination of cost-competitiveness, unrivalled bankability, the ability of its modules to reliably deliver solar power and the fact that the technology has the smallest carbon footprint, with the fastest energy payback time.”
Founded in 2008, Paris-based Photosol has developed solar power plants with a total capacity of 63MW across France and has a project pipeline that exceeds 250MW. Significantly, the four power plants are the largest ever undertaken by the company and also mark the first time it has partnered with First Solar.
“These projects are an excellent example of how France, like other parts of Europe, can diversify its power generation portfolio and achieve energy security by maximizing the use of available land and leveraging its
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www.compoundsemiconductor.net January / February 2014
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