Ascent Solar Technologies, Inc. (OTCMKTS:ASTI), which specializes in the manufacture and development of flexible and lightweight thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solutions has announced that it is one of the 36 companies that were invited to showcase their capabilities at this year’s US Special Operations Command’s (SOCOM) which was held between July 17-19, 2017.
The event, which went on for three days at Patuxent River Naval Air Station in Washington DC brought together several Systems Integrators and premier Developers as they showcased some of the latest in intelligence, communication, power and surveillance sectors to the US Department of Defense (DoD) and SOCOM.
Ascent Solar, which is one of the two solar companies and one of the three companies in the power sector that were invited ay the event showcased its wide range of capabilities including small micro-modules which can be used to supply power to Unattended Ground Sensors (UGS) and the larger solar panels like the MilPak-E which offer modular PV-based solutions which can charge several devices in platoon, squad and in man-portable scenarios.
In a statement, Ascent Solar Head of Worldwide Sales and Business Development Joe Kigin said they are highly honored by the invitation to be part of the SOCOM’s TE 17-3. He added that the event on Satellite Communications (SATCOM) and the UGS tools which are used by Special Operations Forces of the Department of defense. Kigin says the invitation reflects the fact that these organizations use several types of electronics which require a lot of power. This calls for sustained supply of power so as to ensure optimal efficiency during operation. In most cases these organizations depend on batteries which must be charged from time to time or replaced when worn out. Additionally, they add a lot of weight on the soldiers.
These batteries have limited capacity which may expose the soldiers and the assets to dangerous situations. Ascent Solar has a big portfolio of lightweight, rugged and powerful PV-based solutions including XD48, XD12 portable and high-powered solar blankets. Additionally, the company has a variety of custom custom micro-modules which enable DoD to cut on the frequency of replacing the batteries.
