SunFlex Solar

A winning solar tech solution can look like anything— even an unassuming sheet of aluminum foil. For the SunFlex Solar team, foil inspired their Solar Prize Round 2 winning design of an aluminum electrode for the interconnection of back-contact silicon solar cells. SunFlex's technology reduces module and cell production costs while maintaining the efficiency and aesthetic appeal of modules built with back-contact cells. With their $650,000 cash prize, they’ve purchased a lab-scale laser unit for tech development, funded domestic and international intellectual property filings, secured lab space at Arizona State University, and funded a Chief Operating Officer’s work on business development. These activities successfully secured the team a $6 million grant, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, to work with Silfab Solar, one of the largest solar manufacturers in the United States. Silfab, in partnership with SunFlex, expects to have the country's first aluminum-foil-backed solar modules available on the market by early 2026.