UNI-SOLAR New Products, Programs Highlight SPI 2011

United Solar, the global manufacturer of UNI-SOLAR lightweight, flexible solar modules exhibited this week at Solar Power International 2011 (SPI) in Dallas, TX, showcasing its newest products and programs, including the ground-breaking Open Solar initiative and the new Americas Business Alliance Partner (BAP) program. SPI 2011 was well attended by more than 21,000 professionals in the solar industry from all over the world and across the value chain, including installers, developers, financiers, utilities, OEMs and distributors.

“The feedback that we received from customers, Business Alliance Partners and suppliers has been overwhelmingly positive over the past few days,” said Michael E. Schostak, director of business development and communications for Energy Conversion Devices, United Solar’s parent company. “We feel especially gratified at the traffic through the booth and the welcome responses we received as we provided current and potential customers tours through the booth and shared with them the passion that the UNI-SOLAR team has for its new products and programs.”

The Open Solar section of the booth demonstrated the main focus of the initiative: to inspire third-party innovators in the development and commercialization of products based on United Solar’s unique technology, the lightweight, flexible UNI-SOLAR cell. The Open Solar display highlighted further integration of UNI-SOLAR technology into many types of roofing materials as an enabler of a better quality, lower cost BIPV products. Additional examples included consumer products, from portable battery chargers to briefcases and messenger bags with solar charging capabilities and even a solar-powered music speaker.

“We have been very impressed with the flow of innovative ideas we hear from potential Open Solar partners,” said Chris Bala, vice president of sales and Open Solar program lead for United Solar. “From individual entrepreneurs with novel product ideas to senior executives from large global entities, the excitement for our new Open Solar initiative has exceeded our expectations, and we are increasingly optimistic that the Open Solar initiative represents substantial incremental business for UNI-SOLAR.”

The conference also provided an ideal opportunity for United Solar to showcase its newest commercial product, the UNI-SOLAR PowerBond enhanced photovoltaic laminate (ePVL). The ePVL maintains the basic polymer encapsulated design of the classic UNI-SOLAR laminate but with enhancements that improve installability and reliability. The advantages of ePVL are a higher return on investment through increased power density, reduced labor installation costs due to an integrated strain relief and latching connectors, and improved durability of the product from new angled corners and weather-proof edge-wrapping.

The SPI tradeshow also represented an opportunity for the United Solar sales team to engage with their new Americas Business Alliance Partners. Since launching this targeted sales strategy earlier this year, United Solar has signed up almost 30 new BAPs into the program. Benefits to partners in the program include competitive, direct pricing, pre-sales project design assistance, installation and quality control training and certification, and access to financing partners.

“I am very pleased at the success we have had growing our North American BAP program,” said Steve Szamocki, senior vice president of Americas sales at United Solar. “The excellent partners that we have will help us drive megawatts of volume in the rapidly growing North American market.”

One important product making its appearance at SPI is the improved PowerShingle. UNI-SOLAR’s extremely lightweight and very flexible laminates allowed its engineers the ability to integrate solar into laminates that are designed to look like asphalt shingles. The PowerShingle product features laminates that are glass-free and encapsulated in UV-stabilized, weather-resistant polymers that hold up against Category 3 hurricane winds, hail and other heavy impacts — while continuing to provide excellent performance and protection for the inside of the home.

The improved product increases the ease of installation, as it attaches to the roof just like standard asphalt shingles, the panels snap together with new proprietary lie-flat connectors, and the wiring can be run with or without penetrating the roof deck. The product replaces the need for heavy, bulky and unattractive frames on the residential roof with a design that fits the visually-aesthetic needs of homeowners, drastically improving the marketplace outlook for what is anticipated to be a wider scale acceptance of solar on residential roofs.

“We are excited about many of the new products and concepts our group is working on,” said Frank Homann, senior vice President of product development and systems engineering at United Solar. “But perhaps we are most enthusiastic about the improved PowerShingle residential product. We are currently ready to get Class-A fire rated by UL, which is an important differentiating factor about our product. Once this certification is received, we will be prepared to go to market in sync with what we expect will be a resurging home improvement and construction market. We are currently signing up distribution partners to help us get this outstanding product onto as many homes as possible.”