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Competition challenges CPV
Spectrolab
Recaptures
The future of what was to be the world’s With backing from both the Australian
largest concentrating photovoltaic power government and TruEnergy, Solar Systems Cell Record
plant is now in doubt, after administrator appeared to have the right support to
PriceWaterhouseCoopers took over the develop the 154 MW station. However,
running of its developer, Solar Systems. TruEnergy’s parent China Light and Power
(CLP) said that it was to take a HK$346 Elevated competition can even be seen
Although PWC wants the Australian million loss on its 20 percent stake in Solar in Spectrolab’s August 26
company to continue “on a reduced scale in Systems and has stated it does not wish to announcement that it has regained the
order to restructure and sell the business as be the primary investor. record for the highest-efficiency triple
a going concern”, it made two-thirds of junction cell. Beyond the irony that this
Solar Systems’ 150 staff redundant on Explaining its move, CLP highlights fierce coincided with Solar Systems’ problems
September 11. Construction was due to competition, both for credit and sales, in the coming to light, it demonstrates a strong
begin on a 154 MW flagship project this crowded solar marketplace. Not only are emerging transatlantic rivalry.
year, but until investors are found it seems start-ups facing difficulty gaining financing
business will be limited to maintaining the but they compete with companies who are
0.72 MW of power stations it operates. The cutting prices after the recent slowdown. It
news will be especially bad to III-V cell is likely that a similar situation could occur
manufacturer Spectrolab, which had signed amongst the suppliers of based triple-
a $100 million-plus agreement to supply junction solar cells, as their ranks swell and
500,000 cell assemblies to Solar Systems. the technology surges ahead.
JDSU becomes cell supplier
While production experience is a key JDSU says that the tens of thousands of
weapon for III-V cell-making incumbents, photovoltaic power converters it has
other seasoned compound semiconductor manufactured demonstrate the reliability of The Sylmar, California company’s 41.6
manufacturers are joining the market, the its cells. It acquired that technology in 2005 percent conversion efficiency cells have
latest of which is JDSU. The Milpitas, when it purchased Photonic Power overtaken the 41.1 percent achieved by
California, optoelectronic expert says that Systems, and has since been offering it as a Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Solar
the same division responsible for producing lightweight, interference-free, safe and Energy Systems in January this year. This
its well-known optical communication lasers resilient way of delivering electrical power. marks a rapid acceleration in efficiency
is now developing photovoltaic cells. Now competing with New Mexico based improvements, after the 40.7 percent
Emcore in both optical communications and record that Spectrolab achieved in
In its 2009 annual report the company solar cell production, JDSU is the second December 2006 had only been pushed
groups its cells together with fiber-optic major compound semiconductor name to to 40.8 percent by the US National
systems for delivering and measuring power. crash the CPV market this year. The first Renewable Energy Laboratories by
“JDSU has developed CPV cells to be was GaAs cellphone power amplifier August 2008.
available both as chips and in receiver manufacturer RFMD, which officially
assemblies, for solar power,” it wrote. unveiled its collaboration with NREL in July. The record may change hands again
soon, as the Fraunhofer team, which is
Cyrium licenses dilute nitrides
transferring its designs to compatriot
commercial cell producer Azur Space,
believes it can push beyond 42 percent.
Companies with potentially revolutionary cell junction cell in June, the industry will Rather than introducing novel technology,
designs like the UK’s Quantasol and anticipate what it can do with triple-junction Spectrolab achieved its latest record by
Canada’s Cyrium are claiming their slice of designs. Finance for solar projects remains optimising the existing lattice-matched
CPV revenues. Quantasol in particular tight, and Solar Systems’ woes look like germanium/GaAs/GaInP cells that it
marked out its intentions by revealing that it they could be a real setback to any hopes of produces today in high volumes.
has licensed dilute nitride patents for triple- proving the viability of CPV on a large scale.
junction cell production. The crystal growth The EU Joint Research Center’s Institute for The company credits the record to
processes developed at the University of Energy recent report suggests that just 17 multiple improvements in wafer
Houston should make cell manufacturing MW of CPV power plants are currently processing that reduce the area of the
cheaper and simpler and improve efficiency, installed worldwide, with 10 MW alone cell shadowed by its metal contact grid,
Quantasol says. Previously unexploited in III- deployed in 2008. It offers hope with and improve series resistance. President
V solar, dilute nitrides will allow each predictions that 30 MW will be installed in David Lillington says that this “will be
junction of the cell to be made with fewer 2009 and 100 MW in 2010. It would not be incorporated quickly and successfully
quantum wells. With Quantasol’s approach surprising if the increasing numbers of III-V into our production line”.
delivering the world record for a single- cell suppliers have to cut their prices.
October 2009 www.compoundsemiconductor.net 7
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