Solar ♦ news digest
What’s more, the formation method utilised by Solar Frontier to achieve the result is the same method it uses for mass-production, a process of sputtering followed by selenisation.
The firm has chosen this method over co- evaporation due to greater efficiencies in mass production and aims to surpass the current record of 20.3 percent efficiency set with the co- evaporation method.
“This new achievement in energy conversion efficiency indicates the high level of Solar Frontier’s technology and the high potential of CIS technology,” says Satoru Kuriyagawa, Chief Technology Officer, Solar Frontier.
“The CIS thin-film modules currently available from Solar Frontier have gained a reputation for high performance in actual power generation, as they are not easily affected by shadows or high temperatures. Now, even higher real-world performance can be expected by applying this new basic technology. We will continue working to further enhance our technological capabilities with the aim of setting a world record for thin-film solar cells overall,” continues Kuriyagawa.
Solar Frontier’s CIS modules are manufactured at the company’s Kunitomi Plant, which boasts world-class production capacity and cutting-edge technology. Since the Kunitomi Plant started commercial production in February 2011, it has steadily increased its production efficiency.
Currently, the CIS thin-film solar modules produced at Kunitomi have a conversion efficiency that exceeds 13 percent, and the amount of electricity generated (kWh) per installed capacity (kW) exceeds that of other solar modules.
Showa Shell Sekiyu and Solar Frontier intend to contribute even further to the expansion of Japan’s energy industry and local production and consumption using environmentally-friendly CIS thin-film solar modules made in Japan.
First Solar extends collaboration with Intermolecular
The program targets conversion efficiency gains beyond First Solar’s cadmium telluride roadmap
Intermolecular and First Solar have entered into a two-year collaboration and licensing agreement focused on further increases to the conversion efficiency of First Solar’s CdTe solar cell technology.
Under the new collaborative development program, First Solar and Intermolecular researchers will work together to develop disruptive new approaches to increasing the performance of CdTe solar cell technology using Intermolecular’s proprietary High Productivity Combinatorial (HPC) platform. The program targets substantial gains in First Solar’s module conversion efficiency beyond its previously announced roadmap.
“We are excited to extend and deepen our collaboration with IMI. The combinatorial approach to material and process screening has shown promise to augment First Solar’s already world- leading research and development capabilities in CdTe solar technology, enabling better performance and faster time-to-market” says Raffi Garabedian, First Solar’s Chief Technology Officer.
“This program targets disruptive advances in our module performance which will be additive to our current roadmap. We are confident this effort will bear fruit in the coming years, combining with our other new R&D advances to extend our leadership in photovoltaic technology and further enhance value for our power plant customers.”
Sandeep Nijhawan, Vice President and General Manager of Intermolecular’s Clean Energy Group, adds, “We are excited to partner with First Solar, a global leader in thin-film photovoltaic technology and systems. Extending and expanding the collaboration with First Solar after working closely with them last year represents tremendous validation of our value proposition. We look forward to be closely working with First Solar to further increase CdTe solar cell conversion-efficiency by leveraging our HPC platform and capabilities.”
January/February 2013
www.compoundsemiconductor.net 169
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