Published on: Sep 1, 2025
A New Chapter in Solar Power
A Finnish clean-tech company, Nordic Nano, is preparing to revolutionize renewable energy with its nanoprinted solar film—a technology that could redefine how and where solar power is used. Instead of bulky crystalline panels, this approach uses a roll-to-roll printing process to create ultrathin photovoltaic layers on flexible substrates. The result is a material that can be seamlessly integrated into sails, rooftops, façades, vehicles, or even clothing.
What makes this significant is the combination of light weight and adaptability. A conventional solar panel typically weighs 10–20 kilograms per square meter, which limits where it can be installed. Nordic Nano’s solar film, by contrast, is designed to weigh only a fraction of that, opening possibilities for structures and applications that were previously unsuitable for solar adoption. By embedding energy generation into everyday materials, the company is positioning solar not as an add-on, but as an invisible, built-in feature of modern life.
Printing Solar Power and Storage Together
The breakthrough goes beyond solar capture alone. Nordic Nano’s process allows for the simultaneous printing of both the solar film and an integrated thin-film battery, producing a single flexible layer that captures and stores energy. This all-in-one design reduces the need for external wiring, separate battery packs, and complex installation, making renewable power portable and self-contained.
Technically, this approach addresses two of the biggest bottlenecks in renewables: intermittency and storage. Traditional solar requires separate battery systems to stabilize supply, often increasing costs and space requirements. By merging the two, Nordic Nano offers a compact solution that could be valuable in sectors like marine transport, construction, and mobile electronics, where space and weight are at a premium. The films are described as non-toxic, durable, fire-safe, and free of rare earth metals, aligning with broader sustainability goals and reducing dependency on geopolitically sensitive materials.
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Imatra Factory: From Research to Industrial Scale
To transform its research into a viable business, Nordic Nano is investing in a new production facility in Imatra, Finland. According to the City of Imatra, pre-series production is set to begin later this year, marking the first step toward full-scale commercialization.
The initial phase of the factory is expected to employ 20–30 people, primarily in technical and production roles. Over time, the company projects the creation of hundreds of jobs, both directly and indirectly, as supply chains, logistics, and supporting services grow around the new facility.
Potential Applications Across Industries
The versatility of nanoprinted solar films opens up possibilities across multiple sectors, each with its own unique set of benefits.
In the marine industry, sails equipped with solar films could provide continuous, silent energy generation for electric propulsion systems, navigation electronics, and onboard devices. Unlike conventional solar panels, which add weight and require rigid installation, a nanoprinted layer would add almost no mass and could be integrated directly into existing materials. This could reduce reliance on fossil fuels for smaller vessels and extend the range of electric boats—an emerging market in Northern Europe.
In architecture and construction, the films could transform how buildings interact with energy. Traditional rooftop panels often face challenges in terms of weight, aesthetics, and installation costs. A lightweight film that can be printed directly onto roofing materials or façade elements would make solar power more accessible for both residential and commercial buildings. It could also enable retrofitting of older structures that cannot support heavy panel arrays, unlocking solar adoption in areas previously unsuitable for installations.
Wearable technology presents another frontier. Imagine outdoor jackets capable of charging smartphones or GPS devices during hiking trips, or workwear that powers tools and sensors in remote environments. This could reduce dependence on portable chargers and improve safety in industries where reliable energy access is critical, such as forestry, mining, or emergency response.
Beyond these sectors, transportation and logistics could also benefit. Flexible solar films integrated into trucks, trailers, or lightweight shelters could help maintain cold chains, power monitoring equipment, or reduce idling times. By coupling local generation with integrated storage, companies could lower operating costs and emissions at the same time.
Taken together, these applications highlight the potential for nanoprinted solar films to move renewable energy closer to everyday life, embedding it in the objects and infrastructure people already use.
Opportunities and Remaining Questions
While the promise of nanoprinted solar films is significant, several key questions remain before the technology can prove itself at scale.
One of the biggest unknowns is energy conversion efficiency—the percentage of sunlight the film can realistically turn into usable electricity. Traditional crystalline silicon panels typically reach efficiencies between 18% and 22%, while many thin-film technologies operate closer to 10%–15%. If Nordic Nano’s solution is competitive within or above this range, it could establish itself as a strong alternative, especially in applications where weight and flexibility matter more than raw efficiency.
Another important factor is energy storage capacity. Since the film integrates a printed battery, potential customers will want to know how much energy per square meter can be stored, how many charge cycles the battery can withstand, and whether it maintains performance in demanding environments such as marine conditions or outdoor architecture.
Durability and lifespan also raise questions. Flexible films must endure mechanical stress, UV exposure, temperature fluctuations, and humidity. A product that performs well for a few months is not enough—markets will demand reliable output over years, ideally a decade or more.
Finally, cost and scalability will determine market adoption. Even if the films perform well technically, they must be competitive against both conventional panels and emerging storage technologies. Investors and businesses will be watching closely to see how the Imatra factory ramps up production and whether economies of scale can bring prices down to mainstream levels.
Despite these uncertainties, Nordic Nano’s decision to invest in industrial production suggests strong internal confidence in the solution. For potential users and partners, the coming years will reveal whether nanoprinted solar films can live up to their potential and become a transformative force in renewable energy.
Learn More
Further details about the technology can be found on Nordic Nano’s official website. Additional background on the economic and employment impact is available in the City of Imatra’s announcement
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Acknowledgment of AI
Content developed using AI technology, with final review and refinement by our human editors to ensure clarity, coherence, and accuracy.
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