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Rollable HJT ‘Solar Cloth’ Targets Low-Cost, Lightweight Power for Satellites Photograph: (Archive)
A new rollable crystalline silicon heterojunction (HJT) solar technology—described as a flexible “solar cloth”—has been unveiled, promising to significantly reduce both the weight and cost of powering next-generation low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, 6G communication systems, and space-based computing infrastructure.
The solution has been developed by Cando Solar, which showcased the innovation at the SATELLITE × GovMilSpace event in Washington, D.C recently. The company positions the technology as a shift from conventional “area efficiency” metrics toward “weight efficiency,” a critical parameter as the commercial space sector scales up satellite constellations and launch frequency.
As the space industry moves toward high-volume deployments, traditional rigid solar arrays are increasingly seen as a bottleneck due to their bulk, weight, and cost. The rollable HJT solar design addresses these constraints with a lightweight, flexible architecture that can be compactly stowed and deployed in orbit.
The technology features a weight-to-area ratio of 300–900 g/m² and a rolled diameter of approximately 65 mm, enabling significant reductions in launch volume and payload mass. With a weight-to-power ratio of 1–5 g/W, it supports overall satellite mass optimisation—an important factor in lowering launch costs.
On performance, the system delivers conversion efficiencies of 23–35%, with tandem HJT configurations reaching up to 35%. Compared to conventional gallium arsenide (GaAs) solar cells, the solution is positioned to reduce costs by up to 90%. Additionally, the use of shared manufacturing platforms across terrestrial sectors—including agriculture, construction, and transportation—could lower overall satellite manufacturing costs by up to 30%.
Reliability has also been a focus, with the solar cloth undergoing electroluminescence (EL) testing over 10,000 roll-and-unroll cycles, indicating durability under repeated mechanical stress and stable performance over its operational life in orbit. The development comes at a time when demand for scalable, cost-efficient space power solutions is rising, particularly with the expansion of satellite constellations and an increase in in-orbit energy requirements.
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