HelioVolt
Encyclopedia
HelioVolt Corporation is a privately held U.S. energy company in the solar energy sector. It manufactures photovoltaic solar modules using a thin film semiconductor process based on Copper Indium Gallium Selenide
(CIGS) to produce photovoltaic modules. It manufactures thin film solar PV modules for commercial rooftop, utility-scale ground mount, residential, BIPV and custom installations. The company has attracted over $130 million in investment. It is based in Austin, Texas
.
based on semiconductor printing, was invented by HelioVolt founder Dr. Billy J. Stanbery, an expert in the materials science of CIGS
and related compound semiconductors. FASST is a patented manufacturing process for CIGS
synthesis.
HelioVolt is producing thin film solar PV modules for commercial rooftop, utility-scale ground mount, residential, BIPV and custom installations. HelioVolt, a thin-film company, is combining high-efficiency products with low-cost manufacturing http://www.heliovolt.com/technology/heliovolt-advantage.php capabilities to create a new generation of Copper Indium Gallium (di)Selenide (CIGS) based solar modules.
in 2005.
A further $77 million was added in a Series B funding round co-led by Paladin Capital Group and the Masdar Clean Tech Fund in August 2007.
The Series B funding round was closed for a total of $101 million in October 2007
with investments from Sequel Venture Partners, Noventi
, and Passport Capital.
The latest investment will be used to build factories.
semiconductor coatings for solar panels, based on research into the fundamental device physics of the CIGS
semiconductor material.
Conventional semiconductor processing requires a vacuum
process to deposit the semiconductor film on the substrate. The need for vacuum chambers makes this a lengthy batch-oriented production process. HelioVolt has developed a nanomaterial-based coating
that can be sprayed onto a wide variety of substrates without requiring a vacuum. Non-vacuum or atmospheric deposition processes offer a combination of lower costs, process simplicity and reduced manufacturing times. The company's
FASST manufacturing process won a Nanotech Briefs "Nano 50"
nanotechnology
award in 2006. In 2008, HelioVolt and NREL won an R&D 100 Award for their innovative Thin Film Solar Printing Process, as well as the year's coveted R&D Magazine' s Editor’s Choice for Most Revolutionary Technology.
HelioVolt has produced thin film solar cell
s that can convert 14 percent of the sunlight that hit them into electricity, and solar modules with conversion efficiencies of 12 percent, as certified by NREL.
and International Solar Electric Technology
have developed similar technologies:
See also Copper indium gallium selenide#Companies for a more complete listing.
solar company.
Copper indium gallium selenide
Copper indium gallium selenide is a I-III-VI2 semiconductor material composed of copper, indium, gallium, and selenium. The material is a solid solution of copper indium selenide and copper gallium selenide...
(CIGS) to produce photovoltaic modules. It manufactures thin film solar PV modules for commercial rooftop, utility-scale ground mount, residential, BIPV and custom installations. The company has attracted over $130 million in investment. It is based in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.
Company
HelioVolt Corporation was founded in 2001 to develop and commercialize a revolutionary FASST process for applying CIGS thin-film photovoltaics directly onto conventional construction materials. The company’s FASST process,based on semiconductor printing, was invented by HelioVolt founder Dr. Billy J. Stanbery, an expert in the materials science of CIGS
Copper indium gallium selenide
Copper indium gallium selenide is a I-III-VI2 semiconductor material composed of copper, indium, gallium, and selenium. The material is a solid solution of copper indium selenide and copper gallium selenide...
and related compound semiconductors. FASST is a patented manufacturing process for CIGS
Copper indium gallium selenide
Copper indium gallium selenide is a I-III-VI2 semiconductor material composed of copper, indium, gallium, and selenium. The material is a solid solution of copper indium selenide and copper gallium selenide...
synthesis.
HelioVolt is producing thin film solar PV modules for commercial rooftop, utility-scale ground mount, residential, BIPV and custom installations. HelioVolt, a thin-film company, is combining high-efficiency products with low-cost manufacturing http://www.heliovolt.com/technology/heliovolt-advantage.php capabilities to create a new generation of Copper Indium Gallium (di)Selenide (CIGS) based solar modules.
Investment History
Large-scale investment in HelioVolt began with $8 million in Series A funding from New Enterprise AssociatesNew Enterprise Associates
New Enterprise Associates is a global investment firm focused on venture capital and growth equity investments. With approximately $11 billion in committed capital, NEA is among the largest venture firms. The firm invests in three broad industry sectors: information technology, healthcare, and...
in 2005.
A further $77 million was added in a Series B funding round co-led by Paladin Capital Group and the Masdar Clean Tech Fund in August 2007.
The Series B funding round was closed for a total of $101 million in October 2007
with investments from Sequel Venture Partners, Noventi
Noventi
Noventi Ventures is a venture capital firm founded in 2002 by Giacomo Marini and it was previously known as CIR Ventures.The Noventi team includes: Giacomo Marini, Masa Ishii, Pierluigi Zappacosta.-Portfolio:...
, and Passport Capital.
The latest investment will be used to build factories.
Technology
HelioVolt has developed a new way to manufacture thin-film CIGSCopper indium gallium selenide
Copper indium gallium selenide is a I-III-VI2 semiconductor material composed of copper, indium, gallium, and selenium. The material is a solid solution of copper indium selenide and copper gallium selenide...
semiconductor coatings for solar panels, based on research into the fundamental device physics of the CIGS
Copper indium gallium selenide
Copper indium gallium selenide is a I-III-VI2 semiconductor material composed of copper, indium, gallium, and selenium. The material is a solid solution of copper indium selenide and copper gallium selenide...
semiconductor material.
Conventional semiconductor processing requires a vacuum
Vacuum
In everyday usage, vacuum is a volume of space that is essentially empty of matter, such that its gaseous pressure is much less than atmospheric pressure. The word comes from the Latin term for "empty". A perfect vacuum would be one with no particles in it at all, which is impossible to achieve in...
process to deposit the semiconductor film on the substrate. The need for vacuum chambers makes this a lengthy batch-oriented production process. HelioVolt has developed a nanomaterial-based coating
Coating
Coating is a covering that is applied to the surface of an object, usually referred to as the substrate. In many cases coatings are applied to improve surface properties of the substrate, such as appearance, adhesion, wetability, corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and scratch resistance...
that can be sprayed onto a wide variety of substrates without requiring a vacuum. Non-vacuum or atmospheric deposition processes offer a combination of lower costs, process simplicity and reduced manufacturing times. The company's
FASST manufacturing process won a Nanotech Briefs "Nano 50"
nanotechnology
Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is the study of manipulating matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, nanotechnology deals with developing materials, devices, or other structures possessing at least one dimension sized from 1 to 100 nanometres...
award in 2006. In 2008, HelioVolt and NREL won an R&D 100 Award for their innovative Thin Film Solar Printing Process, as well as the year's coveted R&D Magazine
HelioVolt has produced thin film solar cell
Thin film solar cell
A thin-film solar cell , also called a thin-film photovoltaic cell , is a solar cell that is made by depositing one or more thin layers of photovoltaic material on a substrate...
s that can convert 14 percent of the sunlight that hit them into electricity, and solar modules with conversion efficiencies of 12 percent, as certified by NREL.
Production
HelioVolt has scaled up its process in its Austin, TX factory and will start production in late 2009.CIGS
NanosolarNanosolar
Nanosolar is a developer of solar power technology. Based in San Jose, CA, Nanosolar has developed and commercialized a low-cost printable solar cell manufacturing process. The company started selling panels mid-December 2007, and plans to sell them at around $1 per watt...
and International Solar Electric Technology
International Solar Electric Technology
International Solar Electric Technology, or ISET, is a company heavily invested in copper indium gallium selenide photovoltaics. ISET's research...
have developed similar technologies:
- Global SolarGlobal SolarGlobal Solar Energy is a manufacturer of copper indium gallium diselenide thin-film solar cells, with manufacturing operations in Tucson, Arizona, USA, and Berlin, Germany.- Technology :...
said that its CIGS cells from its factory had reached an average efficiency of 10 percent. - NanosolarNanosolarNanosolar is a developer of solar power technology. Based in San Jose, CA, Nanosolar has developed and commercialized a low-cost printable solar cell manufacturing process. The company started selling panels mid-December 2007, and plans to sell them at around $1 per watt...
said it has created tools that can produce CIGS cells with a 14.5 percent efficiency, but wouldn't say whether the figure applied to cells actually being produced . - Stion produces monolithic CIGS modules at its facilities in San Jose CA and Hattiesburg Mississippi
- SolyndraSolyndraSolyndra was a manufacturer of cylindrical panels of CIGS thin-film solar cells based in Fremont, California. Although the company was once touted for its unusual technology, plummeting silicon prices led to the company being unable to compete with more conventional solar panels...
- GroupSat Solar has noted that it can produce CIGS cells with a 12.5 percent and an average efficiency of 10 percent in full production efficiency.
See also Copper indium gallium selenide#Companies for a more complete listing.
Other thin film
First Solar is by far the world’s largest thin-filmThin film
A thin film is a layer of material ranging from fractions of a nanometer to several micrometers in thickness. Electronic semiconductor devices and optical coatings are the main applications benefiting from thin film construction....
solar company.