Ascent Solar Technologies, (Nasdaq: ASTI) announced today that the latest test results of its proprietary CIGS technology show an efficiency increase from 17.55% to 17.73%.

This milestone achievement will feature:

• The Company’s Plug & FlyTM integrated thin-film solar array subsystems to generate more power – with less mass and volume requirements – outperforming heavier and costlier counterparts that space mission directors have historically used.
• Increased efficiency allowing Ascent to provide drop-in replacement array panels for satellites that produce more power, while also requiring reduced structure and deployment subsystem mass and complexity. This is achieved due to the PV cell packing efficiencies within the Company’s modules, which provide active power generating capabilities for greater coverage of the solar array’s surface area than would be possible by individually integrating orders of magnitude smaller solar cells and handling the complicated network of interconnections that comes with them.
• Ascent’s drop-in replacement solar array panels streamline the array assembly and integration process, eliminating the laborious undertaking of picking, placing, soldering, and wiring each individual solar cell in a cleanroom.

“Our fully-encapsulated arrays are now generating more than a watt per gram of integrated array panel, creating a notable differentiator between Ascent and other solar manufacturers active in the space tech market,” said Paul Warley, CEO of Ascent Solar Technologies. “We’re anticipating product deliveries of our new high-efficiency CIGS space products for Q1/Q2 2024 with a megaconstellation’s worth of annual production capacity. Our capital efficiency improvements also enable Ascent to provide customers with lower product costs, coupled with superior power and efficiency capabilities, especially compared to the rigid alternatives available in space solar.”

As global concerns around the issue of dangerous space debris grow, and more entities spearhead initiatives like the European Space Agency’s Zero Debris Charter, the space industry requires customizable solutions like Ascent’s flexible, thin-film solar arrays. The Company’s products require no brittle coverglass and – unlike silicon cells and arrays – should not create more debris if impacted by space debris or difficult to detect micrometeoroids. Ascent’s technology can generate a reduced level of power if penetrated by debris, rather than losing functionality of the entire panel or array.

Beyond standardized space Hardware Developer Kit (HDK) products, such as the recently developed Titan modules, Ascent is receiving interest and inquiries for drop-in replacement panels for existing satellites. Many of the inquiries result from lack of availability, as manufacturers currently have backlogs due to supply chain bottlenecks, along with the onerous labor requirements for assembly, integration, and testing of individual silicon PV cells.