News: Photovoltaics
13 November 2025
Ascent Solar and NovaSpark to team on lightweight power solutions for drones and terrestrial defense applications
Ascent Solar Technologies Inc of Thornton, CO, USA – which designs and makes lightweight, flexible copper indium gallium diselenide (CIGS) thin-film photovoltaic (PV) panels that can be integrated into consumer products, off-grid applications and aerospace applications – has signed a teaming agreement with Louisiana- and Texas-based NovaSpark Energy, which designs and manufactures mobile hydrogen generation systems for fueling long-range drones and powering critical infrastructure.
The agreement brings the two companies’ technologies together to achieve mutually beneficial goals. It packages Ascent’s lightweight thin-film PV with NovaSpark’s mobile hydrogen generation systems, allowing customers to airdrop NovaSpark equipment into a battlefield or disaster zone to power terrestrial applications including drones and other military devices for the US Army, Marines, Navy, as well as other national security stakeholders.
“Our thin-film solar technology is now being deployed everywhere: land, sea, air and space,” notes Ascent Solar’s CEO Paul Warley. “The need for lightweight, durable and reliable solar technology spans a vast spectrum of applications in both the defense and commercial sectors, both of which are considered high growth for emerging technologies. We’re meeting their needs with a proven solution that is ready for scalable production and delivery at rapid speeds,” he adds.
“Ascent’s lightweight solar technology helps make our mobile hydrogen generation systems nimble, air-droppable, and easily deployable whenever and wherever needed,” notes NovaSpark Energy’s CEO Rick Harlow. “This capability not only enables defense providers to deliver clean, reliable power to the edge of operations with minimal effort but also allows rapid deployment for disaster recovery and mobile hydrogen production across commercial and critical infrastructure applications.”
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