The total investment project amounted to EUR 3 190 000, more than half of which was reimbursed through the funding measure of the Innovation Agency. Commenting on the cooperation with Via Solis, Inga Lukošiūnaitė, Head of the Science and Innovation Projects Division of the Innovation Agency, says that by taking advantage of the EU Structural Funds, the company not only developed an integrated solution, but also strengthened its advantage in both local and international value chains.
“The desire of Via Solis not only to strive for growth and innovation, to secure its position as the global leading developer of solar energy solutions, but also to contribute to a more sustainable future is perfectly in line with the mission of the Innovation Agency to foster sustainable and innovative entrepreneurship and to enhance the international competitiveness of our country,” says the Head of the Science and Innovation Projects Division of the Innovation Agency.
She is pleased to see that companies carrying out R&D projects are investing very prudently, carefully developing, testing and bringing to market products that deliver returns in the long term.
“With the “Experiment” measure, we have encouraged Lithuanian businesses to invest in R&D to develop innovative products, services or processes, and to promote business development by investing in the creation and development of R&D and innovation infrastructure. We have also provided opportunities for the certification of products and technologies developed. We believe that research, experimental development and innovation are crucial for improving business competitiveness and can become the basis for the prosperity of the whole country,” the specialist adds.
Rapid development of renewable energy
Via Solis, a photovoltaic module manufacturer founded in 2009, is a company with many years of experience in the solar energy sector, offering advanced energy solutions to both private and business customers. So far, their team has produced photovoltaic glass/glass modules and Suntuitive thermo-chromic glass, which changes transparency autonomously, and in 2015 Via Solis became the second company in Europe, and probably in the world, to start industrial production of a new type of module.
According to Mantas Zelba, Product Development Manager at Via Solis, the benefits of renewable energy are no longer questionable – almost everyone knows that solar energy is one of the cheapest sources of energy, and installing solar panels on the roof of one’s own home has become a common practice. However, despite the rapid development over the last decade, the photovoltaic industry continues to look for solutions to increase the efficiency and applicability of solar modules.
“Those interested in innovation have already heard of energy-generating paint, glass partitions or windows. With the rapid development of next-generation semiconductors and perovskites, it is clear that we are moving in a direction where many surfaces will be generating energy in the future – we believe that in the next few years perovskite solar modules will be industrially produced and become another technological breakthrough in the photovoltaic industry,” says Mr Zelba.
The technology developed is the only one in the world
However, he says, the production of these next-generation modules has its own challenges – the efficiency of semiconductors is severely compromised by high temperatures, oxygen and humidity; therefore, seeing their potential and the challenges of their use in industry, Via Solis has decided to make use of their expertise and develop a new technology. According to Mr Zelba, the semiconductor sealing technology they have developed is the only one in the world that addresses the fundamental problem of next-generation solar modules, i.e. limited lifetime.
“The biggest success and uniqueness of this project is the development of a full liquid silicone lamination technology. Previously, we used to put one film between two panes of glass in the production line, put the photovoltaic cells on top of them, and then put the second film and the glass, and heat them at 160 degrees for several hours; however, we now have a technology that allows us to integrate the photovoltaic cells into the module at room temperature. Of course, not everything has been done to the point where there is no need for energy at all, but we finally have a process that is friendly to organic semiconductors and perovskites – something that has never been done before in the production of solar modules,” comments Mr Zelba.
Partnerships with local and international professionals
During the implementation of this project, Via Solis cooperated with both Lithuanian and foreign partners: chemical solutions were developed together with the US chemical industry leader Dow, technological solutions were developed by German automation companies in the automotive industry, and robotics solutions were implemented by Lithuanian companies Kemek and Techvitas.
Speaking about the new technology, Mr Zelba says that the solution will not only increase the applicability and durability of next-generation semiconductors, but will also make the module more efficient, consume less energy during production, reduce the module cost, and make the product more environmentally friendly by simplifying its disposal. In addition to manufacturing, the company plans to commercialise technological solutions for companies that need reliable semiconductor protection.
The future is about more environmentally neutral products rather than cheaper ones
According to the specialist, with the growing number of sustainability projects worldwide and the fact that consumers will soon be more likely to opt for more environmentally neutral products than cheaper ones, the new liquid silicone technology will undoubtedly give the company a competitive advantage.
Moreover, in the future, this technology will also make it possible to integrate photovoltaic modules into areas of high environmental impact, such as highway noise barriers that absorb noise from cars or trains, which has not been possible until now due to the vibrations caused by vehicles.
