Asia's rising demand for renewables opens enormous possibilities for innovative thin-film-based solar photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturers such as Sunpreme. The company is rapidly moving up the ranks, from a start-up founded only five years ago to a global enterprise in clean technology solutions. Sunpreme has successfully transitioned from the conventional solar 1.0 performance into the next-generation premium solar 2.0, where it holds market leadership. Its proprietary Hybrid Cell Technology (HCT) platform, which combines the efficiency advantages of thin-film-based heterojunction with the cost effectiveness of ultra-thin-film materials processed at low temperatures, enables it to develop modules with much higher efficiency power output and reliable energy production. "The Sunpreme opportunity is too good to miss," says Dr Ashok Sinha, chairman and CEO. "Our aim is to manufacture low-cost, highly scalable HCT solar cells that are at least 1.5 per cent higher in efficiency compared with competitors' premium products, and cost 30 per cent less than the market price for benchmark premium products." The company has its global strategy, design and research and development operations in Sunnyvale, California, with an integrated production line in Jiaxing. It has deployed solutions to 11 countries across five continents, including the United States, Chile, the Netherlands, the Middle East and North Africa, China, Japan, India, the Philippines and Fiji. To address the growing need for high-performance, cost-efficient PV panels in space-constrained rooftops and distributed power generation applications, Sunpreme launched its Maxima GxB series last year - a bi-facial module that produces electricity from the front and back sides, with bi-facial energy boost to increase power output by approximately 20 per cent. Constructed using thin-profile double-glass, its see-through aesthetics perfectly complements roofs, carports and canopies. Sunpreme's bi-facial modules have been tested and certified to withstand varying environmental conditions, from extreme cold to extreme heat. Looking to its laurels, Sunpreme manufactured the world's first 500W bi-facial double-glass module. Scheduled for full production release by mid-year, the GxB 500W boasts an industry-leading record module efficiency of 22 per cent. It is designed to achieve an unsurpassed balance of system cost reduction for power plant applications, which helps clients reduce levelised cost of electricity and achieve a higher energy yield. In Asia, Sunpreme sees market potential in the financial, energy and construction industries, particularly on commercial rooftop and parking structures. It seeks joint-venture partnerships with locally entrenched energy firms and financial institutions with energy-centric investments. Sunpreme is setting its sights on growth hotspots, such as Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore, to bring premium solar 2.0 to Southeast Asia's most dynamic areas. Sunpreme http://www.sunpreme.com