Airport shuttle bus thin-film PV roof system

Hanergy Thin Film Power Group has announced that its US based subsidiary, Global Solar Energy Inc (GSE) and TAM-Europe have recently co-developed China's first airport shuttle bus thin-film roof system. For more information see the IDTechEx report on Energy Independent Electric Vehicles 2018-2038.

 

In November, Hanergy had signed a cooperation agreement with TAM-Europe Company, a subsidiary of China Hi-Tech Group Corporation to develop a brand new model of new-energy shuttle bus, exploring a path to integrate a flexible thin-film module and shuttle bus to create a solar electric shuttle bus.

 

TAM-Europe Company is using Hanergy GSE's next generation PowerFLEX flexible CIGS parts on its shuttle buses, integrating the advanced flexible thin-film cell technology and the critical ICI packaging technology and building better performing hi-tech airport shuttles.

 

Zhang Bin, Hanergy's senior vice president said, "Having to jointly develop China's first airport shuttle bus thin-film roof system with TAM-Europe we feel further empowered for our mission building the sustainable world. The success of the current partnership paves the way for Hanergy to seek more cooperation opportunities in this field. Moving forward, Hanergy GSE will deepen its cooperation with TAM Europe and provide instant power for its clean energy products."

 

"Also, Since the airport shuttle buses operate under sunlight for a longer duration, the solar system can power the air conditioning system and extend travelling range of the buses," he added.

 

As the first company starting mass production of flexible co-evaporation thin-film solar modules in the global market, Hanergy GSE's PowerFlex series of flexible CIGS thin film module products have the advantages of high conversion rate, heat-resistance, light weight, ultra-thin, flexible etc. Furthermore, the solar roof not only provides electricity for the vehicle, it also fully utilizes the surface of the car roof, ensuring that it does not affect the overall design of the vehicle as well as protecting the surface of the car roof. Hanergy GSE's new generation of flexible thin-film solar power generation components, with ICI core packaging technology, are even lighter (only 2.3 kg per square meter without adhesive), offering higher conversion efficiency at lower cost and are thinner, softer, easier to install.

 

TAM was founded in 1947 in Slovenia. It mainly produces airport shuttle buses. In 2013, the company was acquired by China Hi-Tech Group and became its wholly-owned subsidiary. By 2020, China Hi-Tech TAM-Europe aims to occupy world's number one market share in airport shuttle bus business.

 

Founded in 1996, Global Solar Energy Inc (GSE) is a US-based manufacturer of CIGS solar cells, a thin-film based photovoltaic technology, with manufacturing operations in Tucson, Arizona, United States. A Hanergy subsidiary, GSE delivers lightweight and portable photovoltaic modules for integration in commercial, residential, off-grid and mobile applications. Currently, the company has a production capacity of 50 megawatts per year.