Japanese utility Electric Power Development Company, known as J-Power, announced a collaboration with U.S.-based Active Surfaces, a developer of lightweight, flexible perovskite solar modules, to conduct pilot product tests in a variety of environments. It includes an investment by J-Power of an undisclosed amount in the 3-year-old spinoff of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
“Through this investment, J-Power will collaborate with Active Surfaces to conduct pilot tests utilizing the company’s products. As the next step, J-Power aims to create new businesses by utilizing diverse perovskite solar cell products suited to various installation environments,” it said in a statement.
The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The pilot is both a demonstration of manufacturing capabilities and an outdoor pilot to test performance in the field, Richard Swartwout, Active Surfaces, CEO, told pv magazine.
Active Surfaces’ technology was described in the announcement as “ultra-light, flexible perovskite solar modules that peel-and-stick” onto roofs and facades, opening up surfaces that are not necessarily accessible to glass packaged panels due to weight restrictions. Also mentioned was the potential to reduce installation costs.
It further noted Active Surfaces' manufacturing capability, describing its achievement of “high yield and exceptional capital efficiency through a high-speed roll-to-roll process,” and its devices of “excellent durability” under real-world conditions, both in high temperature and high humidity conditions.
The production processes, material choices, coating control systems and the encapsulation technology were highlighted as some of the ways it is addressing perovskite solar commercialization challenges.
Active Surfaces was founded in 2022. It announced raising venture capital last year to scale up production, expand R&D efforts, and bring its solutions to market more rapidly, as reported by pv magazine USA.
J-Power noted that the collaboration is aligned with its J-Power Blue Mission 2050, which aims to accelerate renewable energy activities, as well as several other new energy technology initiatives, toward achieving carbon neutrality.
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