ASCA enters the world of solar sailing!

ASCA has been collaborating with Science & Engineering students at IUT in Nantes, working on a project to create solar sails by incorporating ASCA^® OPV (Organic Photovoltaic) film.

Over the past 2 years, IUT in Nantes has been offering its students projects tutored on a co-development basis with companies based in the region.

This year ASCA decided to highlight its flexible, rollable and versatile ASCA^® solar film by designing a boat sail made out of photovoltaic film. The objective of this initiative conducted in collaboration with IUT in Nantes is to create new concepts to meet tomorrow’s energy needs and applications. We wanted to demonstrate the functionality of 3rd generation flexible solar films containing no metals or any rare or toxic components.

The project lasted 1 year with a team composed of 4 students, coordinated by a member of ASCA engineering team, who has been responsible for helping the students to develop the concept. ASCA’s goal was to show that a yacht is able to navigate using a sail made solely out of photovoltaic film to control the rudder.

After multiple trials and testing the project took shape. The students were supported by the ASCA^® team, notably in terms of integrating and making the electronic connections for the solar film.

The objective of the proof of concept is to generate new ideas and unearth new concepts, and to show that a sail is able to incorporate photovoltaic film while retaining its functionality.

Being flexible, lightweight and rollable, the solar sail has everything the yachting community needs to get the winds of innovation behind them!