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PowerFilm Solar LightSaver ($99), includes a 15.6
mAh battery. Shown deployed (right) and rolled up
Powerfilm Solar, as its name suggests, is a thin film PVmanu-
facturer. Since 1988, Powerfilm has been creating thin film solar
energy options such as the LightSaver Series (one pictured above,
all listed below). Over the years, collaboration with the U.S. Army’s
Research Center at Natick has helped spin-off technological
advances to many PowerFilm products. “All of these products are
made with our ultra-lightweight, incredibly durable amorphous
silicon solar technology. Our panels have a massively monolithic
series interconnection, making a nearly unbreakable connection be-
tween the cells and allowing for very high shadow tolerance,” says
Ryan Jeffery, PowerFilm’s product developer. PowerFilm’s (mono-
lithic) series design interconnects two semi-conducting layers to
boost efficiency and increase field survivability. Multi-juction cells,
a technology where very thin semiconducting layers are stacked
even higher, is the next step in thin film efficiency with laboratory
numbers in the mid-30 percent. No doubt, Jeffery et. al. are all over
that. In the meantime, they await word from the JapanAerospace
ExplorationAgency on the re-awakening of the IKAROUS space
probe. This PowerFilm powered, first of its kind, solar sail-pro-
pelled craft goes back online this winter. )
Efficiency 5% (module level), 7% (device level)
Weight of panel LightSaver Pocket - 3.5 oz
LightSaver - 4.9 oz
LightSaver Maxx - 16 oz
Weight of battery Integrated into LightSaver Series
Wattage (peak) LightSaver Pocket - 1W
LightSaver - 2W
LightSaver Maxx - 10W
Battery capacity/
chemistry
LightSaver Pocket - 2.6Ah Li-Ion (LiFePO4)
LightSaver - 3.2Ah Li-Ion (LiFePO4)
LightSaver Maxx - 15.6Ah Li-Ion (LiFePO4)
Series or parallel
construction
Monolithic series. Panel segments connected
in parallel
Monocrystalline,
polycrystalline or thin film
Thin film amorphous Si
Country of manufacture Ames, Iowa, USA
RoHS (Restriction of
Hazardous Substances)
Yes
Web address
Yolk Solar Paper 5W ($135), 10 W ($235), 15W ($335)
CEO and designer Chang Sungun explains Yolk, her
company name thus: the nutrients for growing ideas and
feeding electronics. Her design, Solar Paper, is clearly one
of the most original and intriguing designs almost on the
market. Currently, she and her associates are using Kick-
starter to fund this project. Her goal was $50,000, which
was exceeded in no time reaching more than $1 million with
approximately 6,300 backers.
One of the interesting features is how the panels connect
magnetically (think MacBook power connection). No need
to even look at the panel’s corners because they either attract
or repel each other. The obvious form factor is compact but
powerful due to using high-efficiency monocrystalline cells.
Up to six modules can be connected, and clips are supplied to
secure the panels together for hanging. The user interface (UI)
displays the current being generated in order to maximize the
panel’s alignment to the sun. When the sun disappears and
reappears, there is no need to re-plug-in your device as the
Solar Paper has a built-in auto-reset function.
Efficiency 22.8%
Weight of panel Solar Paper main: panel plus 1
panel (5W) - 4.05 oz/115 g
Weight of battery No battery
Wattage (peak) 2.5W (each module)
Battery capacity/chemistry No battery
Series or parallel construction Parallel between modules. Series
between cells
Monocrystalline, polycrystalline or thin film Monocrystalline
Country of manufacture Korea
RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous
Substances)
N/A
Web address
Inside Outdoor | Fall 2015 22