(Denver, CO) – August 02, 2010 – Soloptics, a division of Genie Lens Technologies, LLC, the leading specialist in innovative applied optics and light ray management solutions, has announced today results from recent performance testing at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for “FUSION™”, its patent-pending photovoltaic enhancement technology.
FUSION is an optics-based surface technology that substantially increases the conversion efficiency of both new and existing photovoltaic (“PV”) panels in an effort to lower the cost of electricity generated by solar photovoltaics. FUSION’s technology utilizes microstructures that can be embossed or cast into either a thin polymer film and then adhered to a PV panel, either in the factory or in the field, or engineered directly into the protective glass layer utilized in most PV panels produced today.
In tests performed by NREL at its Golden, Colorado research campus, FUSION delivered conversion efficiency gains ranging from 10-12.5 percent depending on testing conditions. FUSION achieved these gains regardless of the underlying PV material for less than $0.10/watt (installed cost).
"The FUSION product shows significant improvement in the PV current over existing technology, particularly under various low level lighting conditions," says Keith Emery, Principal Research Supervisor at the Outdoor Test Facility, NREL’s laboratory to characterize the performance and reliability of PV cells, modules, and small systems.
“We are thrilled with the results generated from the recent FUSION testing at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory,” adds Genie Lens CEO Seth Weiss. “Clearly, this is monumental for Genie Lens’ patent-pending technology, but also for the growth of the solar industry as a whole.”
FUSION’s gains in efficiency are amplified by its low cost, driven primarily by its integration into existing glass and plastic film manufacturing processes and its use ofreadily available and inexpensive materials. In addition, FUSION is the only efficiency boosting technology whose application process can take place in the field -- for the film version -- or at the production facility, and the installation does not require expensive specialized equipment or labor. FUSION can also be customized based on various factors such as higher/lower diffuse light conditions, specific panel manufacturers, or to filter out specific wavelengths of light.
“We are fortunate to have NREL, the gold standard for PV testing and verification, as a strategic partner who also happens to be in our backyard,” says Genie Lens President Melissa Grossman. “We look forward to ongoing testing and development with their assistance.”
In addition to Genie Lens’ Soloptics division, Genie Lens sells and licenses its technology in a broad array of industries including consumer goods, electronics, financial services, healthcare/pharmaceuticals, energy and government.
*****
Genie Lens Technologies, LLC and its Soloptics division are headquartered in Englewood, Colo. Genie Lens is the leading specialist in innovative applied optics and light ray management solutions. Genie Lens develops and patents cutting edge intellectual property to then license or sell to industry commercialization partners. Genie Lens has two distinct divisions: SolOptics (focused on non-imaging optics applications such as solar energy, industrial steam generation, and water purification), and GloOptics (focused on imaging applications such as security, authentication, and brand enhancement). The solar technology developed by Soloptics has received performance verification from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). www.genielens.com
NREL is the U.S. Department of Energy's primary national laboratory for renewable energy and energy efficiency research and development. NREL is operated for DOE by the Alliance for Sustainable Energy, LLC.
Media Contact :
The Rose Group
Elana Rose and Rachael Golding
Elana@therosegrp.com / 310-733-8974 direct
Rachael@therosegrp.com
310-280-3710 office