Tarpon Solar develops canvas materials for large outdoor structures such as sun shading, stages and other features. The company has now developed a laminated fabric with stable, static structures that do not extend which it subsequently realised would be suitable for integration with thin film solar cells.
The companies have now been awarded 1st place in the Technology and Innovation Competition MTI Technology Award for this development.
“Each cloth is made for the purpose it will be used for, so the amount of fabric and type of fibre and layer vary” said Marius Borg-Heggedal, Technical Manager at Tarpon Solar AS. “The solar cells are integrated in the production itself and become part of the material.”
Mattias Dahlberg, Project Manager at Midsummer AB, added that the company sees great potential for the solution as it opens so many different applications around the world.
Tarpon Solar uses Midsummer's thin film solar cells, as they are light enough, flexible and robust for the purpose. They produce about 120 watts per square meter. With the technology used, very light canvases are produced. With integrated solar cells, the weight becomes almost the same as with conventional PVC material and the canvas is also stronger and more durable.
Midsummer is a leading developer and supplier of advanced solar energy solutions for the production and installation of flexible solar panels and also a leading Swedish growth and export company. It has often been named as one of Sweden's and Europe's fastest growing technology companies. The MTI Technology Award is a competition for new and established companies with a business concept in technology.
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