SoloPower rolls out flexible rooftop solar panels

From 2012 - SoloPower, one of many companies vying to lower the cost of solar energy, introduced on Monday a line of flexible panels for commercial rooftops. The company makes thin-film solar cells from a combination of copper, indium, gallium, and selenium (CIGS) which is placed on a flexible foil. Its first product line is a set of solar panels designed for the flat roofs of commercial buildings.The panels are lighter than glass-encased panels and can be installed quicker than other technologies, SoloPower CEO Tim Harris said in a statement. The panels can be laminated onto rooftops and mounted on racks to tilt the panels, Harris told Gunther Portofolio. To make cells, it uses a roll-to-roll electroplating process, which the company says makes it cost-competitive with other solar manufacturers.