Elevate Your Adventure With Solar PV Material
Providing Quality Solar Material that can be used for any application from Solar PV awning to Mobile Living to Roofing Membrane to Carports. Available either as a canopy / sunshade housed in an aluminium cassette or just as the solar fabric for multiple uses.
Our Vision
AE-Supplies specialises in the design and manufacturing of solar photovoltaic materials for awnings tailored for camper vans, RVs, and caravans, as well as for your property. Our commitment to quality and innovation ensures eco-friendly solutions that enhance both outdoor & indoor living. From off-grid to on-grid solutions, designed with advanced solar technology, our products support sustainability while providing comfort and convenience for adventurers. We are dedicated to leading the solar flexible material market, offering reliable performance and stylish designs. Our product can be tailored and customised to your specific design requirements.
Learn more about product durability on the product page.
.jpg)
Who We Are
Awnings
_JPG.jpg)
The AE-S Solar PV Awning are the modern, sustainable solution that combines the benefits of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology with the functionality of traditional awnings.
AE-S Supplies Awning is available from 3.2 meters wide x 2.5 meters in length. For smaller vehicles 2.2 meters wide by 2 meters in length.
Highly efficient rollable photovoltaic modules are seamlessly incorporated into the awning casing, these convert sunlight into electricity while providing effective shading.
Why Choose AE-Supplies?
At AE-Supplies we take pride in our distinctive products, and you may be asking yourself why you should choose us.
A Comparative Analysis of CIGS vs. CIGS HBC Flexible Solar Cells:
AE-Supplies: CIGS
Alternative Suppliers: HBC
Commonly metal foils (e.g., stainless steel), polyimide (PI), or ultra-thin glass.
Substrate
Typically ultra-thin crystalline silicon wafers (<100 μm) or specialised flexible substrates (e.g., polymer with transparent conductive layers).
Minimum Bending Radius
As low as 1–3 cm; demonstrated >3,000 to even
40,000 bending cycles (e.g., Soochow University, 2026).
~5–10 cm; limited by the inherent brittleness of silicon.
FLEXIBILITY
Mechanical Durability
Polycrystalline/amorphous CIGS film offers excellent ductility and fatigue resistance.
Prone to microcracks under repeated bending due to the silicon’s brittle nature
Conclusion
Truly highly flexible, ideal for wearables, curved building integration, and roll-to-roll manufacturing.
Suitable only for "light-bending" applications.
CIGS significantly outperforms HBC in flexibility and mechanical robustness.
Damp Heat / UV Stability
CIGS is sensitive to moisture/oxygen; however,
advanced encapsulation (e.g., ALD barrier layers) has greatly improved reliability.
Silicon itself is stable, but flexible encapsulation may allow moisture/oxygen ingress.
Commercial CIGS modules have >15–20 years of outdoor operation records; accelerated aging tests suggest >15-year expected lifetime for flexible variants.
Efficiency Retentions
Flexible CIGS shows <5% efficiency loss after 1,000 hours at 85°C/85% RH (2025 research data).
Rigid HBC retains >90% after 25 years; flexible version data insufficient
PRODUCT RELIABILITY & LIFETIME
Light-induced Degradation (LID)
No LID - CIGS material is inherently stable under illumination
Crystalline silicon-based; minor LID persists despite back-contact design
Hot-Spot Effect
CIGS demonstrates superior long-term stability, especially due to absence of LID and inherent hot-spot resistance—though it demands high-quality encapsulation. HBC flexible variants lack sufficient lifetime validation.
Monolithic interconnection naturally suppresses hot spots. Fitted with 172 Blocking diodes
Susceptible to hot spots; requires bypass diodes.
Rigid HBC modules offer 25-year linear warranties;
flexible versions lack long-term field data.
Field-Proven Lifetime
Extremely thin absorber layer (<3μm); minimal material use—but indium is scarce and price volatile.
Material Cost
High-purity silicon, ITO, low-temperature silver paste; low yield for ultra-thin wafers.
Compatible with roll-to-roll (R2R) sputtering + selenization; scalable for mass production, though co-evaporation/selenization control is challenging.
Requires low-temperature processing compatible
with flexible substrates; complex HBC fabrication
(a-Si passivation + rear metallization)
COST ANALYSIS
Manufacturing Process
Production Maturity
GW-scale flexible CIGS production achieved by companies like MiaSolé and SUN HARMONICS.
Rigid HBC commercialised (e.g., Maxeon); flexible HBC not yet scaled.
CIGS holds a clear advantage in manufacturability and cost scalability; HBC flexible cells remain in R&D/pilot stages with high costs.
OVERALL CONCLUSION:
Flexibility / Bendability
Reliability / Lifetime
CIGS√
Capable of tens of thousands of bending cycles
No LID, hot-spot resistant, field proven stability
CIGS√
CIGS√
Cost / Scalability
Established GW-scale flexible production; costs continue to decline
CIGS flexible cells represent the most mature and commercially viable high-efficiency flexible PV technology today, particularly suited for BIPV, portable power and mobile energy applications.
Our Products
All Products
AE-S solar flexible rollable canopies are made from advanced Japanese CIGS-ETFE flexible solar technology to deliver superior performance encapsulated into our unique 12V powered winding cassette operated by key-fob, ensuring seamless and effortless operation when opening and closing.
Durable and efficient with scissor arms to support the awning and options of either back to vehicle legs or upright extending supports both designed within the casing.
High UV and and extreme temperature resistance, built to operate in harsh environments.
Operates well in low light or overcast conditions with superior low light performance.
Self cleaning with excellent water run off and minimal maintenance.
All components complete within the packaging for fixing to multiple vehicle types, minimal tools required.
2 sizes available.
Shipping costs to be confirmed depending on location.