Origami Solar Appoints Veteran Solar Engineering Leader Lauren Busby Ahsler, P.E., S.E. as Vice President of Engineering

BEND, Ore.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Origami Solar, the developer of sustainable and domestically produced steel solar module frames, today announced the appointment of Lauren Busby Ahsler, P.E., S.E., as Vice President of Engineering. Busby Ahsler brings over 15 years of experience leading mechanical and structural engineering teams and developing solar products. In her new role, she will head Origami Solar's engineering and testing team, driving transformative innovations in extending the structural performance of Origami’s steel module frame technology to support future market needs.

Busby Ahsler joins Origami Solar from Valmont Solar, where she served as Director of Structural Engineering and oversaw the design, testing, and certification of Convert™ Trackers. She has a proven track record of building high-performing engineering teams, developing design and testing methodologies for novel product types, optimizing product designs for extreme environmental demands, and delivering differentiated solar products to the global solar market.

"This is an exciting time to join Origami Solar’s groundbreaking team," said Busby Ahsler. "Origami is evolving module frames as we know them, taking the more scalable approach of roll forming domestically produced steel rather than using extruded aluminum frames imported from China. This process results in a stronger frame, a transparent and dramatically lower risk supply chain, coupled with a significant reduction in GHG content. I look forward to leveraging my experience in rigorous design and qualification processes to lead the validation and commercialization of Origami’s high-performance solar module frames.”

At Origami, Lauren will lead the effort to develop solutions to improve the system level structural performance to provide enhanced PV laminate protection and optimal LCOE. She’ll leverage her industry tenure and deep expertise in structural engineering and tracker design to ensure Origami’s steel solar module frames address the current pain points being seen with aluminum frames related to module glass breakage and solar cell cracking.

"We're thrilled to welcome Lauren to the Origami Solar leadership team," said CEO Gregg Patterson. "Her depth of solar engineering expertise and passion for bringing game-changing structural engineered solutions to market make her an ideal fit as we continue optimizing the performance and attachment of steel module frames to tracking and racking structures to reduce installation costs and increase ROI over the life of a PV installation. Under Lauren's guidance, I'm confident our talented engineering team will bring further innovation and higher functionality to the solar module frame."

To learn more about Origami Solar's leadership team, visit https://origamisolar.com/team/.

About Origami Solar:

Origami Solar is the developer of a patent-pending steel solar panel frame that will transform the solar industry through reduced material and manufacturing cost, high-speed domestic production, and dramatically lower greenhouse gas emissions. By sourcing steel from an established industry ecosystem, solar module manufacturers can eliminate supply chain constraints, accelerate the transition to carbon-free energy, and level the global playing field for module production. In 2022, Origami Solar was awarded the grand prize in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) American-Made Solar Prize competition, recognizing the disruptive value and potential of a high-performance steel module frame. For more information, visit www.origamisolar.com.