On Thursday last (14th July) Ascent Solar Tech raised about $14 million, after expenses and underwriting costs, following an initial public offering of 3 million units priced at $5.50.

The newly Nasdaq listed company (see website) is different to other solar companies in that it is developing next generation amorphous silicon on plastic substrates. The plan then is to use these to power satellites - anything man-made that orbits the earth and wants continuos cloud free solar power and radiation.

I like the 2nd generation amorphous silicon because generation 1 clearly did not live anything like up to its promise. That was the boom the never happened, the customers just didn't buy. And Solar Ascent's space angle is really intriguing . . .

Conventional silicon-based modules are very heavy and the cost per kilo, according to this article in the Economist " have remained static, at $20,000 per kilo put into orbit, for decades."

The additional point then is that this company is NOT chasing subsidies, like some of its solar brethren. It's focussing on the boom in satellite communications and to some extent, the military industrial complex.

So please excuse the pun, it is right out of the usual solar stock orbit.