Solar Power World

  • Home
  • Top Solar Contractors
  • Articles
    • Most Recent Posts
    • News
      • Latest News Items
      • SPW State News Hub
      • IRA coverage
      • Solar tariffs
      • U.S. manufacturing updates
    • Featured
      • Latest Feature Stories
      • Contractor’s Corner
      • Trends in Solar
      • The Solar Explorer
  • Policy
    • The Solar Policy Scoop
    • IRA Coverage
  • Markets
    • Residential
    • Commercial
    • Community Solar
    • Utility
  • Products
    • Winners of SPW’s 2024 Top Products
    • Batteries and Storage
    • Electric Vehicle (EV)
    • Inverters
      • U.S. solar inverter manufacturers
    • Racking and Mounting
      • U.S. solar mounting manufacturers
    • Software
    • Solar Panels
      • U.S. solar panel manufacturers
  • Resources
    • About SPW
    • Digital Issues
    • Event Coverage
    • Podcasts
    • Product Manufacturing Locations
      • U.S. solar inverter manufacturers
      • U.S. solar mounting manufacturers
      • U.S. solar panel manufacturers
    • Solar Classrooms
    • Suppliers
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Voices
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Origami Solar readies second-gen steel module frame for certification testing

By Kelly Pickerel | May 22, 2023

Share

Steel solar panel frame manufacturer Origami Solar announced that its second-generation frame is now ready for evaluation and certification testing. This second version is lighter and provides enhanced structural performance compared to the first-generation prototype.

The steel solar module frame represents a significant opportunity to disrupt high-risk Asian supply chains by leveraging regional steelmaking resources to end the solar industry’s reliance on imported aluminum. Leveraging the significant investment in U.S. module production capacity by sourcing domestic steel frames can lower costs, create jobs, and tap into domestic content incentives in the Inflation Reduction Act.

“Origami Solar steel module frames will help accelerate our energy independence, significantly reduce the solar industry’s carbon footprint, and enable unconstrained local-region panel production,” said Gregg Patterson, CEO of Origami Solar. “Our Gen 2 frames are lighter, stronger and ideally suited to provide superior support to the new large-format modules coming to market. In collaboration with steelmakers and precision roll formers, we have designed the Origami steel module frame to match the fit, form and function of industry-standard frames, making the transition from aluminum to steel seamless for module manufacturing and field installation.”

“We are excited to partner with Origami Solar to develop their innovative and revolutionary steel module frames,” said Thomas Welser of Welser Profile, a global manufacturer of roll-formed steel products. “Our goal throughout this process has been to support Origami Solar to ensure that any solar panel producer will be able to rapidly integrate and scale these frames with virtually no changes to their production processes, in both the U.S. and Europe. Together with Origami Solar we have optimized the design and are working on further innovations that will address future industry needs.”

“Steel is an earth-abundant resource that can be manufactured on every continent, the use of which in trackers, racking, mounts, and tubes is already widely accepted by the solar industry,” said Mathew Arnold, CEO of Unimacts. “We are excited to collaborate with Origami Solar to rapidly facilitate the shift from imported aluminum to domestically made steel frames.”

Along with support for increased production of domestically produced recycled steel, Origami Solar frames will reduce production-related greenhouse gases by up to 93%, representing a reduction of 80 kg per module or 200 metric tons per megawatt, through the use of recycled or “green” steel. With performance testing by third-party labs and module manufacturers nearing completion, Gen 2 production-ready frames are now available for evaluation testing by module makers and key partners across the solar value chain.

News item from Origami Solar

You may also like:


  • Steel is being considered as an alternative to aluminum solar…

About The Author

Kelly Pickerel

Kelly Pickerel has over a decade of experience reporting on the U.S. solar industry and is currently editor in chief of Solar Power World.

Tell Us What You Think! Cancel reply

Related Articles Read More >

Bila Solar now making dual-glass bifacial panels at Indianapolis factory
RETC solar module testing report finds 12 high-achieving brands
Avery Dennison unveils US-made bonding tape for solar panel manufacturing
Qcells to recycle solar panels in Georgia
Solar Power World Digital Edition
Check in with the nation's leading solar construction magazine today.
 
“the-informed-solar-installer”
“solar
“spw
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, tools and strategies for Solar Power Professionals.

Contractor’s Corner Podcast

“solar
Solar Power World
  • Top Solar Contractors
  • Solar Articles
  • Windpower Engineering & Development
  • Leadership
  • About/Contact Us
  • Subscribe
  • Advertising
  • WTWH Media

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | RSS

Search Solar Power World

  • Home
  • Top Solar Contractors
  • Articles
    • Most Recent Posts
    • News
      • Latest News Items
      • SPW State News Hub
      • IRA coverage
      • Solar tariffs
      • U.S. manufacturing updates
    • Featured
      • Latest Feature Stories
      • Contractor’s Corner
      • Trends in Solar
      • The Solar Explorer
  • Policy
    • The Solar Policy Scoop
    • IRA Coverage
  • Markets
    • Residential
    • Commercial
    • Community Solar
    • Utility
  • Products
    • Winners of SPW’s 2024 Top Products
    • Batteries and Storage
    • Electric Vehicle (EV)
    • Inverters
      • U.S. solar inverter manufacturers
    • Racking and Mounting
      • U.S. solar mounting manufacturers
    • Software
    • Solar Panels
      • U.S. solar panel manufacturers
  • Resources
    • About SPW
    • Digital Issues
    • Event Coverage
    • Podcasts
    • Product Manufacturing Locations
      • U.S. solar inverter manufacturers
      • U.S. solar mounting manufacturers
      • U.S. solar panel manufacturers
    • Solar Classrooms
    • Suppliers
    • Videos
    • Webinars / Digital Events
    • Whitepapers
    • Voices
  • 2025 Leadership
    • 2024 Winners
    • 2023 Winners
    • 2022 Winners
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe