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Solar ♦ news digest


Tiwari’s team has been investigating and developing various thin film solar cell technologies for some time. Over the years the laboratory has boosted the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of flexible CIGS solar cells time and again, from 12.8 percent in 1999 - the group’s first world record - to 14.1 percent in 2005, 17.6 percent in 2010 and 18.7 percent in 2011.


The latest in the series of records has been achieved by modifying the properties of the CIGS layer, grown at low temperatures, which absorbs light and contributes to the photo-current in solar cells. The cell efficiency value was independently certified by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) in Freiburg, Germany.


What’s more, Empa’s new record efficiency for flexible solar cells now exceeds the record value of 20.3 percent for CIGS solar cells on glass substrates - and equals the highest efficiencies for polycrystalline silicon wafer-based solar cells. “We have now - finally - managed to close the “efficiency gap” to solar cells based on polycrystalline silicon wafers or CIGS thin film cells on glass”, says Tiwari.


Thin film, lightweight and flexible high-performance solar modules are attractive for numerous applications such as solar farms, roofs and facades of buildings, automobiles and portable electronics and can be produced using continuous roll-to-roll manufacturing processes that offer further cost reductions compared to standard silicon technologies. In other words, they have the potential to enable low-cost solar electricity in the near future.


“The series of record efficiencies for flexible CIGS solar cells developed at Empa demonstrates that thin film solar cells can match the excellent performance of polycrystalline silicon cells. Now it is time for the next step, the scale-up of the technology to cover large areas in a cost-efficient roll-to-roll manufacturing process with an industrial partner”, says Gian-Luca Bona the Director of Empa. For this purpose, Empa is collaborating with Flisom, a start-up company involved in industrialisation of flexible CIGS solar cells.


The research work has been supported over the years by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), the Commission for Technology and Innovation (CTI), the Swiss Federal Office of Energy


(SFOE) and the EU Framework Programmes.


Ascent Solar reveals charger for Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone


The EnerPlex is powered by the firm’s CIGS technology


Ascent Solar Technologies has launched the EnerPlex solar assisted battery case for the Samsung Galaxy S III, which is now available for sale.


The EnerPlex Surfr for Galaxy S III takes advantage of Ascent’s ultra-light, thin and flexible solar panels and enables Galaxy users to charge their smartphones with sunlight in addition to conventional charging methods to extend the usage time.


The Surfr was displayed at CES 2013 last week, along with other new products from the company. The EnerPlex Surfr cases will also be available in the US through additional retail channels in the near future.


The EnerPlex case for Galaxy S III is uniquely enabled by the lightweight, thin and highly customizable form factor of Ascent’s CIGS solar cells, allowing solar technology to be integrated into the thinnest and lightest solar-enabled iPhone case on the market. Paired with an ultra-thin lithium- ion battery the EnerPlex case provides hours of additional audio, web and talk time for users.


Ascent Solar’s President and CEO, Victor Lee, says, “We were pleased and excited by the response the Surfr for the S III garnered at CES 2013. The interest and accolades received continue to affirm the Surfr’s position as the premium solar & battery case available on the market today.”


NRL III-V solar cell could beat the 50 percent barrier


Grown on indium phosphide (InP), the cell is based on the band structure of InAlAsSb used in detector


January/February 2013 www.compoundsemiconductor.net 163


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