Uni-Solar

One of the defining characters of the solar panel production industry at this time is the diverse nature of products and processes involved. The company formerly known as Uni-Solar is part of the larger United Solar Ovonic Company that manufactures solar applications for home and business in rural Michigan.

The parent companies that own Unisolar hold a great many patents on thin film solar technologies, including the industrial process of creating continuous roll, thin-film amorphous silicon alloy multi-junction solar cells. What that means is that while the efficiency tends to be a bit lower than the more traditional panels made by other companies, Uni Solar panels are far less expensive and a bit more durable.

Also, since they’re made in the US, you can be sure environmental laws apply. Unlike other producers of amorphous thin-film solar panels, the patents held on the Uni Solar methods do not involve the use of the quite toxic element Cadmium – the very same that has been phased out of rechargeable (Ni-Cad) batteries.

For those who are concerned about buying products manufactured in the United States, all the production occurs at the company’s Michigan facilities, with several more facilities coming on line in the next three years. The company now employs over 700 people and is one of the fastest growing companies in the Upper Midwest.

Production is scheduled to increase by a factor of 10 between 2006 and 2010, and company officials suspect that won’t be quite enough to meet the tidal wave of global demand that has risen in the last decade. In the United States alone, demand is expected to skyrocket by 2012 as it has in other countries such as Japan and Germany.

Of course, federal policies from the US Department of Energy and the IRS, in conjunction with the state policies, will determine the course that demand takes. Whether companies such as Uni-solar will be able to sell their products in North America or abroad will be highly dependent upon the subsidies and tax credits that are given for installing Unisolar (or other company’s) solar panels.

Amorphous silicon (a-Si) panels are actually sprayed on in 3 layers, providing a very thin and often flexible panel that cuts down on weight and materials compared with their mono or poly-crystal counterparts. While many companies have pulled out of the a-Si market, Uni-solar is calling this technique their own and really ramping up production. Their products come with a long warranty and have been tested in some very severe weather conditions.