Ames based Flexible Solar Panels Manufacture – PowerFilm, Inc, just announced that they are almost ready with the first phase of their expiation program and they will double their production capacity from 1 megawatt per year to 10 megawatts and also plan to build new building where they can increase production capacity to the amazing 24 megawatts.

The last few years Flexible Solar Panels became extremely popular due to their unique characteristics of being extremely mobile. There is a growing demand for portable power supplies for commercial and industrial use in oil and gas exploration, Global Positioning Systems and other operations and even the Department of Defense is interested in developing a line of solar panels to produce electricity for use by the military in remote locations.

Last summer PowerFilm raised 18 million dollars from the UK Alternative Energy Stock Market for the first phase of their expansion program which they just announced it is almost complete. This expansion improved their production capacities ten times since last year from 1 megawatt to 10 megawatts, but this is not the whole story. Last week they raised another 15.6 million to build new solar panels factory near Ames or Boone areas (they still haven’t made their minds because of some unknown government issues). The new factory will be 50,000 square feet and will open around 60 new work places.....

The interesting thing here is that the American Stock market is still not ready to subsidize large Alternative Energy projects like this one and the UK Stock Marketers are quite more experienced that us in this area. Since last year the European Solar Panels project had increased with 150% especially in Spain and France. The European Union is gave heads up on few very large solar plants that are already finished (see: ) and few more that will be ready later this summer.

Congratulations to PowerFilm and we will be waiting to see their new 1 meter wide flexible solar panel strip next year.