page_title: Energy Conversion Devices
section_title: United Solar Ovonic Corporation
hierarchical_section_title: Energy Conversion Devices / United Solar Ovonic Corporation
caption_attribution_description: English: Chevron's Solarmine solar photovoltaic project — in Fellows, western Kern County, California. photo by self, May 3 (?) 2009
context_page_description: Energy Conversion Devices was an American photovoltaics manufacturer of thin-film solar cells made of amorphous silicon used in flexible laminates and in building-integrated photovoltaics. The company was also a manufacturer of rechargeable batteries and other renewable energy related products. ECD was headquartered in Rochester Hills, Michigan.
  Through its wholly owned Auburn Hills, Michigan subsidiary United Solar Ovonic, LLC, better known as Uni-Solar, ECD was at one time the world's largest producer of flexible solar panels. Uni-Solar panels consisted of long rectangular strips with wiring at one end, which could be glued to any suitable supporting surface. They were widely used on flat roofs, motorhomes, semi-trailer cabs and similar roles.
  On February 14, 2012, Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. and its subsidiaries, United Solar Ovonic LLC and Solar Integrated Technologies, Inc. filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. United States District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan.
context_section_description: The United Solar Ovonic Corporation was at one time the world's largest (2008) manufacturer of photovoltaic laminates. In the broader category of thin film solar cells, as of 2007 the company was the second-largest U.S. manufacturer, after First Solar. The solar cells are made of 11 triple junction amorphous silicon solar cells connected in series and have 11–13% in conversion efficiency. The laminate encapsulation material was durable ETFE, high light-transmissive polymer. The laminates were sold under the trademark "UNI-SOLAR".
  Manufacturing and global headquarters were in Auburn Hills, Michigan. A second campus was constructed in Greenville, Michigan in 2007. Much of the production was sold to manufacturers and suppliers of building envelope elements, such as metal roofs (Rheinzink, Corus "Kalzip") or polymer roof membranes (Alwitra, Solar Integrated technologies).  Flexible, thin-film solar PV products were also developed for space applications.
caption: Chevron Solarmine solar PV system with United Solar Ovonic PV Laminates
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