Have you noticed the remarkable rise of solar energy in the United States? Over the last decade, the capacity for solar energy has skyrocketed by nearly 900 percent, resulting in an electricity output that is eight times greater in 2023 compared to just nine years earlier. The leap from 2022 to 2023 was a staggering 51 percent, with an unprecedented 32 gigawatts (GW) of solar installations coming online. As of now, the U.S. boasts over 179 GW of installed solar power, enough to supply electricity to nearly 33 million households. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is optimistic about this growth, projecting that solar energy could meet 45 percent of the nation’s electricity needs by 2050.
Yet, the continued rapid expansion of solar energy is contingent upon significant advancements in technology. To harness this potential, improvements in the efficiency and durability of solar photovoltaic (PV) materials and manufacturing processes are crucial. This is where Optigon, a promising MIT spinout founded just three years ago, steps in.
“Our mission is to create tools for research and industry that will catalyze the energy transition,” explains Dane deQuilettes, co-founder and chief science officer of Optigon. “The technology we’ve developed allows for real-time measurements and analysis of materials during their creation, whether in the lab or on manufacturing lines, significantly accelerating the optimization of PV systems.”
Emerging from MIT’s dynamic solar research environment, Optigon is gearing up to launch its innovative technology in 2024, which could dramatically enhance the pace of solar power deployment and other clean energy initiatives.
Moving Beyond Silicon
Traditionally, silicon has been the backbone of most solar PV systems, but it faces physical limitations that restrict its efficiency in converting sunlight into electricity. Silicon solar cells can theoretically reach power conversion efficiencies of only about 30 percent, with practical levels hovering in the low 20s. Compounding this issue is the dominance of China in the silicon PV market, encompassing everything from supply chains to manufacturing.
Researchers are increasingly exploring alternative materials to either enhance silicon’s performance or entirely replace it. Among these materials, perovskites—a family of crystalline semiconductors—have emerged as strong candidates for next-generation PV solutions. The unique properties of perovskites enable innovative manufacturing techniques, such as printing technology, bypassing the supply chain established by China for silicon. When used effectively, perovskite solar cells can achieve higher efficiencies by being layered atop silicon PV cells or even stacked together. Their flexibility and lightweight characteristics make them suitable for installation on rooftops and other structures that may struggle to support heavier silicon panels, thereby reducing costs and expanding the possibilities for building-integrated solar devices.
However, these advanced materials necessitate rigorous testing during both research and development phases, as well as in manufacturing contexts. Flaws in the optical, electrical, or dimensional properties of the nanostructures can negatively influence the final products.
“The process for measuring and analyzing these materials has been laborious and slow, requiring multiple separate tools that are mostly manual,” says Optigon co-founder and CEO Anthony Troupe. “We aimed to create tools that automate the detection of a material’s properties to determine its viability as a solar cell, and subsequently optimize it.”
“Our innovative solution integrates several non-contact optical measurements utilizing various light sources and detectors into a single system, providing a comprehensive cross-sectional view of the material,” adds Brandon Motes, co-founder and chief technical officer.
“This breakthrough allows us to achieve millisecond timescales for data collection and analysis, enabling us to apply research-grade tools directly to full-scale production systems, delivering incredibly detailed insights about products being manufactured at a massive gigawatt scale in real time,” Troupe emphasizes.
This efficient system captures measurements in an instant, in stark contrast to traditional methods. “Optigon’s techniques are precise and allow for high throughput, making them immensely useful in contexts where swift feedback and rapid material development are critical,” explains Joseph Berry, director of the U.S. Manufacturing of Advanced Perovskites Consortium and senior research scientist at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. “With Optigon’s technology, the solar industry could gain not only improved materials but also the capacity to produce high-quality PV products at a faster pace.”
The Impact of Measurement
With backing from the Small Business Innovation Research program of the DOE and a grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, Optigon has established its presence at Greentown Labs, a climate technology incubator in Somerville, Massachusetts. The team is preparing for the launch of its inaugural commercial product this spring, a key development rooted in MIT’s GridEdge Solar Research Program.
Under the leadership of Vladimir Bulović, a professor of electrical engineering and director of MIT.nano, the GridEdge program aims to develop lightweight, flexible, and affordable solar cells for distribution in rural areas worldwide. When deQuilettes joined the initiative in 2017 as a postdoctoral researcher, he took charge of leading the program and constructing the infrastructure necessary to study and manufacture perovskite solar modules.
“We aimed to determine the quality of the material once it was produced,” he recalls. “At that time, suitable commercial metrology tools for materials outside of silicon were scarce, so we began developing our own.” Recognizing the need for greater expertise, particularly in electrical, software, and mechanical engineering, deQuilettes called on undergraduate researchers to help create metrology tools for novel solar materials.
“Forty individuals expressed interest, but when I met Brandon and Anthony, it was clear we complemented each other’s skill sets,” deQuilettes shares. “We began collaborating, with Anthony designing integrated measurement systems and Brandon assembling the control hardware for various laser types. We filed numerous patents, and the project started coming together beautifully.”
“From the outset, we understood that effective metrology could significantly enhance both material quality and production yields,” explains Troupe. DeQuilettes adds, “We aimed to achieve the highest performance levels exponentially quicker than the conventional route, developing tools suitable for research labs as well as manufacturing lines to provide real-time quality feedback.”
The device Optigon engineered for industrial use is compact, about the size of a football, with advanced sensors integrated into a streamlined form. It takes measurements as materials move beneath it, designed for optimal user interaction and functionality, with data streamed to an operator’s dashboard and a custom database.
The Future of Energy Measurement
Optigon has seemingly identified a significant market opportunity. “A research group recently engaged us to utilize our in-house prototype due to their urgent need for such measurements,” Troupe states. Motes adds, “Prospective customers are already inquiring about purchasing our system.” DeQuilettes concludes, “We aspire to become the leading company for characterization metrology in the United States and beyond.”
While challenges such as product launches, scaling manufacturing, technical support, and sales are on the horizon, Optigon is well-supported by Greentown Labs and MIT’s expansive solar research community. The founders are already exploring future phases of development.
“We are not restricting ourselves solely to photovoltaics,” deQuilettes explains. “We’re planning to expand our focus to include other clean energy materials like batteries and fuel cells.”
This ambition stems from a commitment to making a meaningful impact in the fight against climate change. “We’ve carefully analyzed how our technology can enhance the production efficiency of solar panels and other energy technologies, significantly reducing the waste of materials and energy often seen in traditional optimization processes,” deQuilettes states. “Across various sectors, we anticipate a potential offset of approximately 1 billion metric tons of CO2 emissions each year in the near future.”
Optigon’s strategy incorporates scalability into its business model. “Our vision is to be the pivotal force for bringing these groundbreaking energy technologies to market,” Motes envisions. “We aim to be present on every manufacturing line producing these materials, so that when we see solar panels deployed, there’s a strong likelihood they were measured by our system at some stage.”
Photo credit & article inspired by: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
