Power Technology,Inc., founded by a Sandia National Laboratories scientist-turned-entrepreneur, has received a license for a “home-grown” technology that could revolutionise the way solar energy is collected and used. The licensing agreement was signed between mPower Technology Inc. and Sandia for microsystems enabled photovoltaics (MEPV).
mPower focuses on Dragon SCALEs, small, lightweight, flexible solar cells that fit into and power devices or sensors of any shape or size, and is led by Murat Okandan who has worked for Sandia for the last 16 years before he started his own company. MEPV uses microdesign and microfabrication techniques to make miniature solar cells, also known as “solar glitter”. mPower is commercializing MEPV as Dragon SCALEs.
The high-efficiency solar cells can be integrated into satellites and drones, biomedical and consumer electronics, and can be folded like paper for easy transport. The technology is able to leverage the massive silicon PV and microelectronics infrastructure and supply chain already in place in order to deploy solar faster and more cost effectively. The Sandia license will allow mPower to ramp up commercialisation and attract more investment. It further applies to a portion of Sandia’s MEPV intellectual property portfolio associated with silicon solar cells.
Read the original press release here.