Copper-based solar cells have been recognised as one of the top 100 innovations of 2010.

Ascent Solar Technologies has been honoured with the prestigious R&D 100 Award, presented annually by R&D Magazine to recognize the 100 most technologically significant new products and processes of the year. The company’s winning entry is its unique Flexible Monolithically Integrated Copper-Indium-Gallium-diSelenide (CIGS) Photovoltaic Modules on Polyimide Substrates.

These thin-film CIGS modules rely on monoolithic integration by laser patterning to replace cell-to-cell interconnects with a module on a continuous polyimide substrate. They can be used for a range of applications, including automotive, portable power and roof tops.

The award cements copper’s role as a renewable energy choice of the future and recognises its valuable place in solar-electrical, or photovoltaic (PV) systems. These systems convert sunlight to electricity through silicone-based semiconductors and thin-film materials such as cadmium telluride and gallium arsenide. Copper-indium-gallium-diselenide, or CIGS, is the most promising of these energy generating materials because a CIGS cell holds the record for the total percentage of energy converted (19.5%) from direct sunlight.

Despite today’s explosive growth in solar power, and increased production of solar cells, the cost of PV power remains high—and continues to rise due to a worldwide shortage of cell-grade silicon. This is where CIGS offers an important advantage. Compared to silicon, which requires multiple manufacturing steps before the material is shaped into individual cell wafers, the CIGS process is relatively energy-efficient, and its technology has advanced to a point where the material can now be deposited as a “coating” on inexpensive strips of material.

Ascent Solar Technologies is a developer of thin-film photovoltaic modules with substrate materials that can be more flexible and affordable than most traditional solar panels, allowing them to be integrated into standard building materials, commercial transportation, space applications and consumer electronics for portable power.

Farhad Moghadam, President and CEO of Ascent Solar states, “We continue to develop innovative ways to use photovoltaics on a daily basis. Our modules enable the personal portability of solar power, applications for electrification of transportation and aesthetically pleasing integration of PV into building materials.”

For 48 years, R&D 100 awards have been given by R&D Magazine to the top 100 technological achievements of the year. Previous award recipients have included anti-lock brakes, the fax machine, halogen lamps and liquid crystal displays.

"The R&D 100 Awards have always represented some of the most innovative concepts to reach the marketplace in the past year. 2010 is no exception, and we had a particularly strong field of entries for the judges to evaluate," said Rita Peters, editorial director of R&D Magazine.