Heliene and Origami Solar have been cooking this collaboration for exactly one year, Heliene CEO Martin Pochtaruk shared with Factor This. His team spent more than nine months mired in a rigorous testing process to ensure the modules’ 25-year warranties would not only be unaffected but improved by swapping in steel frames.
“The modules with steel frames have an improved mechanical resistance, better wind resistance, and snow load resistance,” Pochtaruk found. “They are also heavier, and that has to be factored in the design of the racking and trackers, which means they might not be for everyone.”
At the moment, steel-framed solar modules may be best utilized in specific locations by customers with unique needs, but Pochtaruk won’t rule out the potential for larger appeal. Could steel replace the aluminum industry standard?
“It could,” Pochtaruk offered. “It really is up to our customers to decide.”
The deal with Origami aligns with Heliene’s ongoing mission to strengthen the American solar supply chain in pursuit of the industry’s holy grail: an affordable and sustainable domestic module. Recent steps forward include a partnership with SOLARCYCLE to secure recycled glass and a milestone contract with Suniva to produce the first domestic content-eligible PV modules. Starting in 2026, Heliene will source American-made silicon wafers via NorSun, working further down the chain.
It’s not all sunshine and modules on the domestic content front, however. Heliene recently paused plans to lease a solar cell plant in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area in a joint venture with India’s Premier Energies, opting instead to wait for more clarity from the incoming Trump Administration on the tax credits that made the project viable.
“The 45X Investment Tax Credits (ITC) are an important factor for investment in the U.S.,” Pochtaruk told Factor This. “Until there is certainty on the new administration’s view on them, it would not be cautious to proceed with the very large investment.”
Origami Solar founder Eric Hafter wields a steel solar frame. Courtesy: Origami Solar
origami’s gambit
According to a 2020 study by the World Bank, aluminum is by far the most widely used mineral in solar photovoltaic (PV) applications. From frames to panels, the World Bank estimates more than 85% of demand is for aluminum. There are lots of good reasons for that; aluminum is light and relatively cheap, it’s pretty flexible, and its reflectivity may even improve efficiency.
But if a project calls for a little extra oomph? Steel might be the best material for the job.
“Our steel module frames provide a robust, 100% domestically sourced solution for solar module manufacturers like Heliene, as well as developers and EPCs seeking to reduce costs, improve performance, and ensure a reliable domestic supply chain,” stated Gregg Patterson, CEO of Origami Solar.
Heliene tests one of its new solar modules. Courtesy: Heliene
Patterson contends the frames offer superior strength, durability, and long-term performance to their aluminum counterparts and have demonstrated superior structural performance with multiple leading tracker systems, protecting Heliene’s high-performance modules in challenging environments and ensuring structural resilience over the long term.
Further adding to Orgami’s value stack are the cost savings enabled by a domestically-produced steel supply, eliminating duty, tariff, and impoundment risk associated with importing. Plus, the switch to steel reduces embodied carbon in module frames by over 90% compared to foreign aluminum, Origami argues.
As uncertainty floods the U.S. renewable energy market in President Trump’s first months back in office, supply chain certainty may be Origami’s most attractive offering. China and Russia are two of the top three aluminum-producing nations; China itself controls nearly 60% of the world’s market. You don’t need a degree in geopolitics to understand why that matters.
“The past few weeks have been a rollercoaster ride for shippers trying to stay on top of the latest tariff announcements and their impact on shipping activities,” noted Ben Bidwell, director of North American customs and compliance at C.H. Robinson. “No wonder almost half of shippers say uncertainty around tariffs and trade policy is a pain point.”
“Shippers should not assume there will be ample preparation time between announcement and enforcement of new tariffs,” Bidwell added.
With each successive blow to the cost of doing business overseas, Origami’s domestic product becomes more valuable.
“If you can’t depend on getting a supply of the critical materials, you have no business,” asserted Origami CEO Gregg Patterson. “It doesn’t matter how profitable you are. You have no business if you can’t have a predictable supply.”
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Publish date : 2025-02-24 14:01:00
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