High Efficiency Flexible Solar Panels

The military's need to reduce both fuel and battery resupply is a real time requirement for increasing combat effectiveness and decreasing vulnerability. Mobile photovoltaics (PV) are a technology that can address these needs by leveraging emerging, flexible space photovoltaic technology. In this ongoing project, the development and production of a semi-rigid, lightweight, efficient solar blanket with the ability to mount on, or stow in, a backpack and recharge a warfighter's battery was undertaken. The blanket consists of a 10 x 3 solar array of 20 cm(2) epitaxial lift-off (ELO) solar cells. In the first two phases of the project, single-junction cells with an efficiency of similar to 21% under AM1.5G illumination were used. Several of these systems were outfitted during Limited Objective Experiments (LOE) in February 2012 and August 2012. In the third and most current phase of this project, the panels will be made from IMM triple-junction cells with an efficiency of 28-30% under AM1.5G illumination. The results of laboratory tests of the new prototypes, as well as a test plan and expected outcome for a field experiment are presented here.