What Nanosolar does

Nanosolar is a privately held thin-film solar cell and panel manufacturer founded in 2002 and headquartered in San Jose, California. The company's core technology is a proprietary roll-to-roll printing process that deposits CIGS (Copper, Indium, Gallium, Selenium) semiconductor layers onto low-cost aluminum foil using non-agglomerating nanoparticle inks, eliminating the need for cleanrooms or high-vacuum sputtering equipment. The Print2Power technology platform has achieved 17.1% aperture efficiency on laboratory devices certified by NREL, with 13.9% cell-level and 11.6% Utility Panel efficiencies independently verified by Fraunhofer ISE. The intellectual property portfolio comprises 54 issued U.S. and international patents with more than 300 applications pending.

The product portfolio spans the Nanosolar Utility Panel (glass/glass module for ground-mounted utility-scale installations), the UltraLight module (sub-1 lb/sq ft for BIPV, VIPV, and FIPV), the NanoCell bare cell, and CustomCell Prints featuring Metal-Wrap-Through back-contact architecture. Manufacturing is split between a 200,000 sq ft roll-to-roll cell printing factory in San Jose and a 500,000 sq ft fully-automated panel-assembly facility in Luckenwalde, Germany, which is ISO 9001 certified. The customer base consists of utility-scale project developers, government and military entities (including two U.S. National Guard installations), and European commercial and agricultural operators, with documented projects ranging from 64.4 kW to 10.63 MW across the United States, Germany, France, and Spain.

Nanosolar generates revenue through hardware sales of cells and panels via direct enterprise field sales and distribution partnerships, supported by Munich Re Performance Extended Warranty Insurance that enables project financing. The company has raised approximately $470 million in disclosed equity funding across multiple venture rounds from 2003 through 2012, alongside $35 million in U.S. Department of Energy research grants and a $10.3 million DARPA contract. Investors include aeris CAPITAL, Mohr Davidow Ventures, Benchmark Capital, Arsenal Venture Partners (OnPoint Technologies), EDF Energy, and Energy Capital. Note: the most recent operational data in the source materials dates from 2012–2013, and the company's current operating status cannot be confirmed from the inputs provided.

Name

Nanosolar

Legal name

Nanosolar Corporation

Website

http://www.nanosolar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Nanosolar is a private San Jose–based manufacturer of CIGS thin-film solar cells and panels printed on aluminum foil via roll-to-roll processes, serving utility-scale developers, government and military customers, and commercial building integrators across the US and Europe.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Thin-Film Solar Cells and Panels

akta.pro primary industry

Solar PV Module Manufacturing (Cells, Modules, Thin-Film) (EUAMABAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Solar PV Module & Cell Manufacturing (Crystalline, Thin-Film) (EUAMAHAA), Solar Plant Components Supply & Manufacturing (Modules, Cells, Wafers, Mirrors, Heliostats) (EUACAGAK)

Keywords

• Thin-film solar cells
• CIGS photovoltaic panels
• Utility-scale solar modules
• Building-integrated photovoltaics
• Roll-to-roll solar printing

Headquarters

HQ city

San Jose

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Solar Panel and Cell Sales: Nanosolar generates revenue through the manufacture and sale of CIGS thin-film solar cells and panels. The company produces Utility Panels for ground-mount installations and is developing UltraLight modules for BIPV, VIPV, and FIPV applications. Products are sold globally through direct sales and distribution partnerships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Nanosolar manufactures CIGS (Copper, Indium, Gallium, Selenium) thin-film solar cells and panels using a proprietary roll-to-roll printing process on low-cost aluminum foil, producing the Utility Panel for ground-mount installations, the UltraLight module for BIPV/VIPV/FIPV applications, and NanoCell CIGS solar cells. Its Print2Power™ technology platform targets 16%+ conversion efficiencies to enable cost-competitive utility-scale, commercial rooftop, transportation, and portable solar power solutions.

Product overview

Nanosolar is a manufacturer of thin-film CIGS (Copper, Indium, Gallium, Selenium) solar cells and panels produced using an industrial roll-to-roll printing process on aluminum foil. The product portfolio centers on the Print2Power™ technology platform, with core products including the Utility Panel (glass/glass module for ground-mounted installations), UltraLight module (lightweight for BIPV, VIPV, and FIPV applications), and NanoCell solar cells. Solutions are organized across four application categories: Commercial Roof BIPV for building-integrated photovoltaics, Mobile Consumer for personal device charging, Transportation VIPV for vehicles, and Exploration FIPV for portable/off-grid power. The company maintains separate cell manufacturing in San Jose, California and panel assembly in Luckenwalde, Germany.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Print2Power™: Proprietary next-generation CIGS technology platform enabling higher power conversion efficiencies to 16 percent and beyond, reducing total costs and enabling new applications for solar panels.

Products and services

• Nanosolar Utility Panel Glass/glass CIGS thin-film solar module engineered for utility-scale ground-mount installations, optimized for balance-of-system costs in high-irradiance locations with rugged design resistant to wind and snow loads. Sold to utility companies and large-scale project developers via direct enterprise sales.
• Nanosolar UltraLight

Quantifiable outcome

• 17.1% aperture efficiency on laboratory devices (NREL certified)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• SEPA (Solar Electric Power Association)minorOthersNon-profit resource for solar information, policies, and programs. Works with electric utilities and solar industry stakeholders.
• PV CycleminorOthersVoluntary take-back and recycling program for end-of-life solar modules. Nanosolar is a member committed to responsible panel recycling.
• EPIA (European Photovoltaic Industry Association)minorOthersWorld's largest photovoltaic industry association with 230+ members across the solar value chain.
• BSW (German Solar Industry Association)minorOthersInterest group representing 800+ German solar energy industry member companies.
• Munich RecoreOthersProvides Performance Extended Warranty Insurance for Nanosolar Utility Panels. Conducted extensive due diligence on Nanosolar manufacturing quality and controls.
• NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)coreTechnology or IntegrationU.S. Department of Energy laboratory that certified Nanosolar's 17.1% efficiency achievement and validated cell performance benchmarks.
• Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy (ISE)coreTechnology or IntegrationIndependent testing laboratory that certified Nanosolar's 11.6% panel efficiency and 13.9% cell efficiency benchmarks.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Solar Frontier: Japanese CIGS thin-film module manufacturer (Kuroiso plant). Directly competing CIGS technology with utility-scale focus, though operating on a glass substrate rather than the flexible aluminum foil Nanosolar uses.
• Global Solar Energy: CIGS thin-film flexible module producer (copper foil substrate, roll-to-roll). Acquired by First Solar in 2013. The closest historical peer in flexible CIGS substrate technology and manufacturing approach.
• Avancis: German CIGS thin-film module manufacturer (Torgau plant), now part of CNBM. Direct European CIGS competitor targeting commercial rooftops and utility-scale installations.
• Solyndra: Direct historical CIGS thin-film competitor on a novel substrate (tubular CIGS on flexible material) targeting commercial rooftops. Received $1.5B in DOE loan guarantees before filing for bankruptcy in 2011 — the cautionary parallel for Nanosolar's flexible-substrate CIGS model.
• First Solar: Large-scale thin-film solar module manufacturer (CdTe rather than CIGS). Closest operating analog in thin-film module manufacturing at utility scale, with similar bankability/warranty discipline and direct competition in utility-scale project bids.
• MiaSolé (MiaSole Hi-Tech): Direct CIGS thin-film competitor producing flexible cells on stainless steel substrates using roll-to-roll processes. Acquired by Hanergy in 2012 but is the most technologically comparable peer in flexible CIGS.

Broad incumbents

• SunPower (Maxeon): High-efficiency back-contact crystalline-silicon module manufacturer serving residential, commercial and utility-scale markets. Competes with Nanosolar in commercial rooftop BIPV and high-efficiency utility segments using different underlying cell technology.
• Hanergy Thin Film Power Group: Chinese thin-film conglomerate that acquired MiaSolé and SolarValley. Operates large-scale CIGS and GaAs thin-film production lines; represents the dominant low-cost Asian thin-film competitor with significant scale advantages.

Emerging players

• Oxford PV: UK-based perovskite-silicon tandem solar cell company. Represents the next-generation thin-film technology threat — if perovskite tandems commercialize, they would leapfrog CIGS thin-film on efficiency and compete directly with Nanosolar's BIPV roadmap.
• Heliatek: German organic PV (OPV) roll-to-roll manufacturer producing ultra-thin flexible solar films for building facades and BIPV. Competes with Nanosolar in the same lightweight BIPV and FIPV application space using an alternative thin-film chemistry.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Nanosolar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nanosolar

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors24 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nanosolar