Nanoflex Power Corporation — Department of Energy SBIR Phase I: 16a

Description

Commercial buildings consume 40% of total U.S. energy demand. Studies have shown that successfully integrating solar modules into building façades can substantially reduce the net building energy load depending on location, orientation, and time of year. Our Company brings with it 20+ years of critical intellectual property development on thin film organic solar cells, and we have subcontracted with a building façade technology leader to design, develop, manufacture, and market the first U.S. building integrated organic solar modules. n Phase I our Team will demonstrate flexible organic solar sheets (available in a variety of sizes and colors) and map out mechanical and electrical integration into complete building façade assemblies. We will validate the integrated cost and low weight of the modules and model the complete cost/benefit to capitalize on the projected high efficiency (>19 %) and low cost ($0.23 per Watt) of building integrated organic solar modules at scale. Benefit and cost saving projections will take into account the structure that organic solar façades naturally provide - with the correct choice of protective layers or films in combination with the building-integration mounting system, our modules can provide rain-screening, wind-screening, sound-proofing, wind load resistance, and ageing resistance, while offering residual structural integrity to the building. We will also develop a manufacturing roadmap and finalize pilot manufacturing equipment design. In Phase II our Team will complete the overall system design and scale this technology to assemble demonstration façade systems on buildings in the Phoenix area where our subcontractor already has the needed architectural, building owner, and general contractor relationships. The economics of solar building cladding are attractive and point towards a market the U.S. should lead. While European and Asian competitors have already begun trials of integrated organic solar in building façade configurations, no U.S. manufacturer has developed or trialed organic solar modular façade assemblies. Our Company aims to initially overtake and lead these competitors in the U.S. market and then expand worldwide. We will have a competitive advantage utilizing our Team’s small molecule organic solar technologies due to their superior solar conversion efficiency, generating more power per square foot for the building. Our subcontracter brings its existing cladding designs along with its existing customer base to accelerate demonstrations and scale up to buildings in Phoenix and nation-wide. We estimate cumulative sales and licensing revenue of $13.4B during the first 10 years of commercialization.