Financial News

Ascent Solar makes solar cells from copper-indium-gallium-diselenide thin-film semiconductors (CIGS). CIGS has proven to be more efficient than the other thin-film technologies, Cadmium Telluride and amorphous silicon. Although thin-film technologies have proven to be cheaper to produce than the standard poly-crystalline silicon silicon panels, they are less efficient and require more space to produce the same quantity of electricity. The company uses its PV modules to produce building integrated photovoltaic systems (BIPV), electronic integrated photovoltaic systems (EIPV), and commodity solar panel systems.^[1] BIPV systems have solar modules incorporated directly into building and construction materials, while EIPV systems have solar modules incorporated directly into portable electronic devices.

As traditional sources of energy are getting more expensive, more difficult to access, and more harmful to the environment, governments are turning to sources of renewable energy like Ascent Solar's photovoltaic systems, giving homeowners and utilities incentives for adoption like tax breaks and renewable energy mandates. Solar power is not yet competitive with conventional forms of electricity, however, and relies on federal and state incentives. Advances in technology are expected to make solar power competitive with coal-based power, perhaps even within the decade.^[2] Ascent Solar has responded by expanding into regions where solar energy is in great demand and is well-subsidized, like Europe and Japan. Also, the company is not affected by silicon shortages that hamper the rest of the PV market because it uses a technology that does not require silicon.

(Read more at Wikinvest )