Oded Rozenberg, Apollo Power’s CEO, holding a lightweight flexible solar panel. Photo By Rami Zerenger
Apollo Power, an Israeli firm that deals with alternative energies, launched “Apollo Carmel.” The company says that this is the first automatic factory of its kind in the world to produce flexible solar panels.
Located in Israel’s Mevo Carmel Science and Industry Park, the facility entered its test-run phase and it is expected to reach a capacity of about 190 megawatts per year, which equals the average consumption of 35,000-40,000 households. This will increase Apollo Power’s production capacity to mass production.
The “Apollo Carmel” facility includes two main buildings with a total size of roughly 10,000 square meters, its construction took almost a year and a half, and more than 100 million NIS were invested in it.
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It certainly makes sense that Israel has companies taking the lead in the development of solar power and other alternative energies. Israel has never been known for its natural resources. Only recently has the country begun to develop offshore natural gas fields. So, traditionally Israelis have needed to look for whatever power alternatives they could find. And being in the Middle East, one thing Israel has never lacked is plenty of sun.
Founded in 2014 by CEO Oded Rosenberg and CTO Eran Maimon, Apollo Power develops and manufactures innovative solutions and products in the solar energy field. Our flagship product is the Apollo Film: flexible, lightweight, durable and efficient solar film, designed to transform any surface under the sun into an electricity source.
Oded Rosenberg, Apollo Power’s CEO said, “We are proud to open the first factory for producing flexible solar panels. This innovative and automatic facility was built in a year and a half, utilizing groundbreaking technology we have developed ourselves, in order to realize our vision of generating electricity from any surface exposed to the sun. The potential is endless. The technology of our flexible solar-film is particularly suitable for installation on light roofs and water reservoirs and the automotive market.”
Last September, Apollo Power reported that it will supply Tadiran Solar with flexible solar panels in a minimum quantity of 26 megawatts, as part of an agreement to make Tadiran the exclusive distributor of Apollo Power in Israel in the light roof market. In addition, this year, the company reported about its first commercial agreement in the global automotive market, after signing a long-term agreement with the Volkswagen AG Commercial Vehicles group. According to their 10-year agreement, Apollo will supply Volkswagen tens of thousands of sheets with a total value of approximately 33 million euros, which will be incorporated into vehicle models after the end of production (aftermarket) starting from July 2024.
Apollo Power has recently also finished installing a solar sidewalk on a substrate of recycled rubber at an Amazon logistics site in France, and also received an order for the supply of light solar sheets on the roof of the logistics building at the site where the sidewalk had been installed.
Over the past year, Apollo Power’s technology received significant international recognition. The solar roof project carried out in collaboration with the German automotive giant Audi and the Austrian supplier to the automotive market Mubea Carbo Tech, won the prestigious innovation award in the composite materials industry in the “Automotive Surfaces” category for 2022. The project included the integration of Apollo’s flexible and lightweight solar panels into the materials that make up the roof of one of Audi’s electric vehicles. The solar sheet generates electricity from solar energy and helps to extend the driving range of the car. In addition, the company is in collaboration with leading car brands such as Hyundai, Renault, Geely and more.
