Konarka and Arch Aluminum sign advanced product development agreement
Company logo of Konarka Technologies, Inc. The Active Solar Glass of Arch Aluminum & Glass Co., Inc. Images sourcedfrom Konarka Technologies, Inc. and Arch Aluminum & Glass Co., Inc.
Konarka Technologies, Inc., a manufacturer of solar plastic films, has signed an advanced product development agreement with Arch Aluminum & Glass Co., Inc. to manufacture commercial building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) materials that are used to replace the conventional building materials.
Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the two companies would integrate Konarka’s patented thin-film solar material, the Konarka Power Plastic®, into glass for various commercial BIPV applications.
According to Rick Hess, President and Chief Executive Officer of Konarka, the company hopes to advance the entry of Konarka Power Plastic into the BIPV market segment, one of the fastest growing segments of the solar industry, through the agreement with Arch Aluminum.
He added that Konarka’s solar product is ideally suited for BIPV applications because with its flexible, lightweight, and semi-transparent material, Konarka Power Plastic “integrates easier and is more aesthetically appealing than other solar products.”
Arch Aluminum’s CEO, Leon Silverstein, agreed that integrating Konarka Power Plastic into glass would create a new product that would benefit BIPV applications. The new innovative features will allow buildings to produce their own power and be aesthetically pleasing while doing so, since “BIPV will no longer need to be confined to spandrel or overhead applications.”
Arch Aluminum & Glass Co., Inc. is one of North America’s largest suppliers of architectural glass and aluminum products for architects, designers, and building developers. The company also provides in-house laminating, heat-treating, and fabrication technology. Arch Aluminum’s headquarters is located in Tamarac, Florida.
Konarka Technologies, Inc. is a manufacturer of solar plastic films that convert light to energy. In October of 2008, the company opened the world’s largest roll-to-roll flexible thin-film solar manufacturing facility for the commercialization and mass production of its solar material. Konarka’s global headquarters is located in Lowell, Massachusetts, with operations in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Asia.
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Natassia Y. Laforteza
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